Years of anti-corruption bought Xi a lot of power through fear, not respect. No Chinese official can claim he is 100% clean. Such power structure is unstable unlike coalitions which is held together by common (economic & political) interest.

Xi knew the first generation reformers from the Deng’s era were not his allies. Certainly the group of corrupted-power-money vested groups from Jiang’s era were not his friends.

Thus, he has to rely on the grass root and nationalism to use them to keep himself in power. The message therefore is: President Xi loves the people and he is sacrificing himself to take on these corrupted officials and resume Chinese rejuvenation.

He needs these "little red guards" as much they need him. They fed upon feverish national pride from time to time (e.g. Amazing China); they in turn forced the government on silly national issues that has no practical purposes - forcing US airlines to reclassify Taiwan; forcing NBA Daryl Morey issues etc.