BU BU JING XIN
EPISODE 3
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THE POWER GAZE: RUOXI LOCKS EYES WITH YINZHEN ON YIN’E’S
BIRTHDAY
Ruoxi has stationed herself at the balcony. Yinzhen then appears in the opposite balcony.
Picture
this over and over again in your mind. Ruoxi and Yinzhen look at each other in
silence from opposite balconies over an expanse that separates the North
Court from the South Court. Does it irk her that the prince is staring
intently at her?
They lock eyes and maintain eye contact for
some time. Making a connection?
It seems strange that Ruoxi does not avoid
his gaze and her eyes does not blink or lose focus. She holds her breath.
The two remain calm and in control of their
emotions in this adrenaline-filled experience.
Do we doubt the power of their eye contact?
There is no flirty or enticing smile as she holds eye contact with him.
Is Ruoxi also wondering why he’s looking at
her. Is he wondering why she isn’t shy? Why doesn’t she flee? They can be considered
to be mesmerised with each other. Is she sizing him up and wondering whether
she’s attractive to him, the next Qing emperor?
The eyes have it. Yinzhen runs his eyes over
her. He seems to be hypnotised by her. But, of course, she is very beautiful.
In addition, she is blatant, confident and curious about him.
Is he floored by the vision before him? Or is
he just gaping at her because she is a beauty whom he is never tired of feasting
his eyes upon? Then, he lowers his gaze for a moment.
Is she flirting with him? Certainly, no. She
does not even flash her pearly whites at him. But is he even remotely surprised
why she does not retreat behind the walls?
The fact that she does not move away is an open invitation for him to stare at her. They hold their gaze again. 
She piques his interest. The distractions in
the beautiful gardens seem to fade out and the stare is intense. Is it a
magical moment for Yinzhen. His eyes relay a calm, masculine confidence and
he does not look away but continually, keeps his eye on her.
But perhaps what they do not know is, a
powerful signal has been sent across to each other, unbeknownst to
themselves.
There seems to be an invisible energy being
spread across the divide that separates them.
There is no seductive look on her part but
an awareness of his masculine presence.
Both stare at each other and are reluctant
to retreat. Their eyes convey enough emotion for the other to understand
and to feel. It is an exquisite moment, thrilling the heart. It’s that
delicious moment that one thinks of fate and destiny. Powerful emotions
conveyed through the eyes.
That power gaze is short, in fact, far too
short but long enough to let one’s imagination to run riot. Think of it – the sounds of silence are so
loud, so, how can a poet, if present, not write an ode to it?
Is love in the air?
Then, Yinsi, the 8th Prince
appears. He looks askance at Yinzhen.
He also feels the tension. He, himself, has
also not mustered enough courage to make a move. There is also a protracted
stare between Yinsi and Ruoxi.
Nobody speaks.
Ruoxi, at that moment, probably is undecided
who stirs her emotions the most. But one thing is certain – she has weaved her magic over the two most eligible Qing princes.
Suddenly, there is an announcement about the
arrival of the Thirteenth Prince.
Yinxiang, the 13th Prince apologizes for being late because
of discussions with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, Yinreng, would be
late as he has gone back to his palace to have a change of attire.
Three of the princes, including Yinxiang and Yin'e look at Ruoxi across the vast space that separates them. 
Yinxiang, the thirteenth Prince also stares
for awhile.
Ruoxi does not know yet but she would soon
learn, that these few princes would be the men who would have a tremendous
effect on her life.
Then, they walk off. As they disappear from
her sight, Ruoxi stares after them. The 8th Prince wonders
about her, and the 4th Prince seems to hesitate before he walks
off.
She, being the modern and confident woman,
does not avert her gaze but is blatant and unflinching about being stared at
by the men. She seems to flaunt her ethereal beauty at them. The true
traditional Qing woman would quickly retreat into the shadows and, if
interested in them, would peep at them from a hidden place. But, not Ruoxi.
There is a hum of conversation.
Yinxiang, seems to be taken
by her extraordinary beauty but Yinsi avoids talking about
his immature sister-in-law and tells him about the drinking session that they hope
to have with him. Yinxiang appears to be a heavy drinker.
It seems crystal clear that the Qing princes have taken a shine to Ruoxi!
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THE CROWN PRINCE'S FAUX
PAS: THE BIRTHDAY GIFT - THE RU’YI JADE SCEPTRE (‘AS DESIRED’ / ‘AS YOU
WISH’)
A dancing show has been prepared and Ruoxi seems to be bored
and paid no attention to the festivities. Although a joyously festive mood
reigned supreme, she obviously was impatient with everything. She taps and
fiddles with her fingers as the princes drink to their hearts’ content,
ignoring the ladies.
There were signs of the beginning of alliances which would later
lead to conflicts and the formation of cliques among the Princes. The 13th
Prince would later become a strong supporter of Yinzhen, the 4th
Prince and the Crown Prince, in their rivalry against Yinsi, the 8th
Beile.
The arrival of the Crown Prince, Yinreng, is announced and he is
welcomed by all the princes. He has brought a special gift for the birthday
boy, Yin’e.
   
All eyes are transfixed by the gift. Shock is registered on all
faces because the gift is one of the Ru’yi Jade Sceptres (As desired / As You Wish), given as a tribute by Burma to the
Kangxi Emperor, their imperial father. The Ruyi jade sceptre is a luxurious symbol of political power that is
regularly used in imperial ceremonies.
Most of the other princes know that the Crown Prince has
committed a political faux pas. But,
this is just the beginning. It won’t be long before he makes another
‘Yinrengate’.
It is always a cause for celebration by his rivals when the
Crown Prince loses control of his brain! He is so spoilt by the Kangxi
emperor that he seems to have a sense of entitlement - that he is entitled to
the property and possessions of his imperial father!
THE ART
OF POLITICS
Yinsi, the 8th Beile recognises the precious jade,
and the Crown Prince boasts that four such pieces have been gifted to the
emperor and he, the Crown Prince has chosen one for Yin’e.
The Crown Prince is a clueless imbecile who tries to show his
power and influence on this occasion but does not realise the folly of his
action. He is trying to impress the wrong crowd.
The is an edge of irritation in Yinti, the 14th
Prince’s voice, as he protests that if the emperor knows of it, he, the Crown
Prince, would be in deep trouble. It is a criminal offence to partake of the
emperor’s possessions without his permission.
However, Yintang, the 9th Prince’s over-the-top
claim that the Crown Prince, Yinreng, would not land in hot soup since he is
the apple of the emperor’s eyes. His sentiments are not echoed by the rest of
the princes.
What the arrogant and high-handed Yinreng does not realise is
that by claiming the tributes of vassal states as his own, and then
distributing them as his personal gifts to others, is a major offence. He has
no claim to them as such gifts are for the emperor alone to dispense with as
he wishes.
Yinreng, being been rash and foolish, is seemingly out of touch
with reality, and his act does not resonate with the more intelligent princes.
The Crown Prince has made a blunder and he has not even realised it.
Yinsi deems Yinreng’s gift to be
generous but he also reminds him that the emperor would be displeased if he
knows about it. It will be a thorny problem of disrespect shown to the
emperor.
The implication that the gift is a disaster is clear but the
haughty prince is not ready to accept humiliation nor is he able to rebut the implied
criticisms.
Yinxiang, tries to save the Crown Prince from
possible total humiliation by saying that even if it is a gift, it is such a
valuable gift that even the 10th Prince would not be bold enough
to accept it.
The equally daft and dim-witted 10th Prince,
bird-brained that he was, fails to understand the critical situation, and
foolishly declares that he would not dare to refuse such a precious gift from
the Crown Prince. This reflects poorly on the 10th Prince, Yin’e,
who is revealed to be not only dense and vacuous, but also simple-minded.
Yinzhen, the intelligent, analytical and politically astute 4th
Prince, tries to dissipate the tense situation and also preserve the Crown Prince’s dignity.
He reasons out that Yinreng is just playing a joke on all
of them. Yinren just wants to show them the beautiful and splendid Ruyi jade sceptre.
Yinzhen further adds that the emperor has gifted one other Ruyi jade sceptre
to his imperial mother, another to Concubine Mi. If Yin’e has a similar jade,
it will show that the Crown Prince is unfilial.
The unwise Crown Prince finally wakes up to his folly and realises
his lack of good sense and judiciousness. He mumbles in agreement and quickly
concedes that it is just a joke. He proposes sending the actual birthday present over to
Yin’e in a few days and asks him what would be a good present.
Yinxiang, helps the foolhardy Crown Prince out of the tricky
situation by saying that the Crown Prince, himself, has mentioned the gift of
a red-haired horse from the Northwest to be given to Yin'e.
Yinreng must have been so grateful to Yinzhen and Yinxiang for
their face-saving solution.
In this situation, viewers have been given a preview of imperial politics. The Crown Prince is like a parasite, a drain on
the foreign tributes and in future, the Qing imperial treasury.
If one were to analyse the situation, one realises that Yinsi and Yinti lack diplomatic shrewdness as they harp
on the gift-giving of the Ruyi jade as a problem but it is the presence of mind of
Yinzhen and Yinxiang that stands out. They show their problem-solving skills and offer a solution
to help Yinreng navigate the tricky situation.
In the future struggle for power, the Crown Prince would be
sided by the 4th Prince and the 13th Prince. When the
Crown Prince is denounced by the emperor for the final time, it would, in the
end, result in the ascension to the Dragon throne by the smartest, most perceptive
and politically savvy prince, Yinzhen, the 4th Prince.
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YIN’E’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: RUOXI BRINGS THE 21STCENTURY
TO 18TH CENTURY QING CHINA
Meanwhile, the 10th
Prince, Yin’e tries to hide the fact that he has alcohol intolerance and he
pukes after a drinking binge. Why does he not tell people he has to be a
teetotaller?
Ruoxi gleefully
tells the whimsical prince to follow her as she has already prepared a wonderful birthday gift for him.
She leads him
through the gardens to a pavilion full of red lanterns and hanging mobiles in
the form of origami cranes.
The crane is an
auspicious symbol. It (he 鹤)
is believed by the Chinese to live to a very old age, and therefore, is a
symbol of longevity. A crane standing alone represents success in becoming a
high government official.
Yin’e is
fascinated by such delightful art décor as it provides him with a new, fresh,
mesmerising experience.
He is further
surprised and intrigued by the modern birthday song, ‘Happy Birthday To
You’, which she sings for him.
He is indeed
correct about her being creative and full of surprises.
The viewers can
see that Yin’e is like a little puppy who is yelping and wagging his tail in delight
at all Ruoxi’s birthday gestures and her tireless efforts to please him.
Yinxiang and Yinti suddenly appear and tease them, but the embarrassed Ruoxi, in order to prevent further misunderstanding, quickly takes her leave. |
THE RUOXI-MINGYU
PUBLIC CAT FIGHT: ROUXI IS SENT TO COVENTRY BY RUOLAN
 While crossing the garden bridge, Ruoxi is confronted by Minyu who insults her yet again, saying that she has no family breeding unlike her. She, Ruoxi, does not follow proper court etiquette. Mingyu’s vitriolic tongue gets the better of her. She not only condemns the Ma'ertai sisters as ‘wenches and vicious women’, she also repeats the insulting words.
Her tongue lashing fuels Ruoxi’s anger. The
Gololo sisters never run out of vitriol and bile.
For Ruoxi, the constant bullying seems like
a silly and annoying game that does not have an apparent end. She hits the
roof.
Ruoxi’s patience is already stretched to
breaking point. Things get a bit rowdy. The hot-tempered Ruoxi loses her
composure and slaps her. The two girls go ballistic, yelling bloodcurdling
expletives.
Their wild cat fight turns into a huge
show, fit for a prince’s birthday celebration, one to be imprinted in the
mind forever!
The princes are alerted to the commotion.
The observers have never seen such a feisty girl before. Except for the
voices of the two maidens, a hush has fallen in the garden.
Yin’e is beside himself with worry and tries to intervene. Both girls have gone off the deep end.
The fight ends with the two girls falling into the lotus pond and then, suddenly, everything springs to life. The princes jump into the pond and help them out of it. 
The fight has caused Ruolan considerable
alarm. Ruolan is concerned about the two girls. First, she asks about her
sister’s situation, and when she turns to Mingyu, she is roughly being pushed
away.
Yinsi admonishes Mingyu. Mingyu starts screaming
and crying loudly. Everyone is quiet as she makes an exhibition of herself.
Unable to stand the crocodile tears, Ruoxi
shouts at her to stop crying twice. No man present can deny that she makes
quite a pretty picture even with her haughty bearing and her imperiousness. Shocked,
Mingyu could not utter a word.
There is an embarrassing silence as they
have never encountered such a ferocious and feisty Qing imperial girl.
In Qing China and in the Forbidden City, no imperial lady would be involved in physical fights but Ruoxi has risen in stature in
the eyes of the men for having taken on a palace bully.
Yinzhen finds the whole situation very
amusing and a smile wreaths his face. It is strange that a man as
self-controlled as him could not suppress his amused smile. And it would not
be an exaggeration to state that some of the spectators must have stifled a
smile over the two young ladies’ very interesting exhibition of uncontrolled emotions.
Having been humoured, the Crown Prince
tells everyone to continue with their merry-making.
What an end to a royal birthday celebration for Ruoxi! It has started with a buzz of activities and fanfare, but ends on an embarrassing note!
Both Ruoxi and Minghui have tarnished the image of the Beile’s
household and humiliated their sisters. They lack a sense of public
propriety. Poor Yinsi!
Yinsi dismisses Mingyi. It
is unclear what happened to her after that.
Rouxi realises that she is in deep trouble.
Her lack of decorum is unforgivable, and going haywire in public is so
unbecoming of a person from a fine background. Roulan, who, unswervingly
behaves with the utmost propriety and decorum, has been deeply humiliated.
Ruoxi has spoiled the Ma'ertai family’s reputation, and strained her relationship with her sister. Grimacing, her sister gives her the cold shoulder. 
Little wonder, Ruoxi’s simple apology is
not enough to placate her older sister. Her shoulders slouched, Ruoxi waits
for the withering lecture from her sister which does not come. She is
distraught because her sister totally ignores her.
She meets Yin’e and Yinti who tease her
about her reputation as the '13th Death-Seeking Sister’ which has spread like wild fire to all
four corners of the Forbidden City.
Later, Ruoxi is summoned by Yinsi to his
house for reasons only known to himself.
Although her brother-in-law does not punish nor admonish her, she
remains standing and waiting by the doorway while he discusses national
issues with Yin’e and Yinti.
Stealing glances at Yinsi, she is filled with
anxiety and nervous anticipation.
She knows that she is being given the silent
treatment. Serves her right! She knows that she is partly in the wrong so she
does not make any move. Imagine a teenager being made to feel remorse for
being wayward. She must have groaned inwardly.
After the other two princes have left, Yinsi orders her to look at him, and then, he laughs and tells her to go back
because it is already late evening.
She is relieved but when she gets back, her
sister has sent her to Coventry yet again. Ruolan as usual treats her coldly
and does not speak to her directly. Instead, she instructs the maids to take
care of her.
Many days have passed by. Ruoxi goes to the
8th Beile with the intention to request him for help. The Beile
understands the purpose of her visit. He gives her his advice, ‘Those who tie the knot must untie it
themselves.’
Nobody can help her. She must help herself.
She cannot break through the barrier which has risen between Ruolan and herself with an insincere apology but by the expression of her true feelings.
Ruoxi visits her sister again with the determination to break down the barrier. Being a 21st
century woman probably with a sound knowledge of or a grounding on
psychology, Ruoxi is quite an expert at tugging at her sister’s heartstrings.
She talks about the early death of their
mother and that they are biological sisters and although she is close to her
half-siblings, she is closer to Ruolan because they are true siblings.
Ruolan has never neglected her. She has
always loved, cared for her since young. Ruolan is the only family member who is close to her.
She finally begs her sister not to ignore her. She, Ruoxi, has learnt her lesson. Ruolan is touched and forgives her. Ruoxi must be given a pat on the back for being able to move her sister’s heart. 
Ruolan advises her to change her hotheaded
and fiery personality. She divulges that the Beile has shielded her from the
wrath of the powerful Gololo family.
Ruoxi also lectures her on her impropriety
of behaving in an unladylike manner.
Her sister is level-headed, unlike her, who
is reckless and rash. Ruoxi regrets her behaviour and promises to change.
She is not paying lip service but soon, the
viewers would see a graceful and feminine butterfly emerging from the Beile residence.
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MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL: KANGXI HOLDS COURT
   
Her sister
announces that the emperor would be holding a banquet for the Mid-Autumn
Festival or the Moon Festival celebration. All
the princes would be accompanied by their families. Ruoxi also has to attend as an
imperial order has been handed out, according to her sister. The emperor has
heard about her and her skirmishes with Mingyu. Her feisty reputation
precedes her. She has amassed significant attention as all palace gossip has reached the ears
of the emperor.
Ruoxi has to
practise walking with a cup on her head to develop elegant Qing poise to
present her personal best to the imperial family.
Deportment, proper
carriage and poise are all important. Her sister supervises her as she parades up
and down the room, working on her walk. ‘Walk without looking back.’ ‘Walk
gracefully.’ ‘Do not look left or right or look around.’ ‘Smile, speak and behave courteously.
All this training goes a long way to training her for her future place in the Qing hierarchy. Composure, dignity and self-respect are the bywords of the imperial family.
The point is to
walk tall and elegant that is befitting a person of her station in life. Her
sister corrects her posture and her bows.
How fortunate for
her to have a sister who is the epitome of grace, elegance and poise to train
her. Her sister is full of elegant and gentle gestures. To the imperial
household, elegance is a way of life.
THE EMPEROR HOLDS COURT
The Throne in the Palace of Heavenly
Purity
The important day
arrives. The emperor holds court in the Palace of Heavenly
Purity in the Forbidden City.
When the kowtowing
has been done with, the emperor proclaims that the Mid-Autumn Festival is the
time for the family to celebrate.
Suddenly, the
Kangxi Emperor points at Ruoxi and orders her to go forward as he wants to
meet her. She moves forward, kneels before him and kowtows.
After Ruoxi has risen from the floor, the emperor expresses his preconceived notion that she is a bold and confident girl. Yet, he notes, she is nervous.
With her head
bowed, she admits to her anxiety as it is her first meeting with him. She adds
that she has found the emperor to be intimidating.
He asks her
whether she is afraid because he really intimidates her. She almost makes a
gaffe but plucks up enough courage to give an intelligent answer. She is
living on edge.
‘Only a tyrant
wants people to fear him. Since time
immemorial, all emperors want the respect and love of the people.’
She says he’s a
wise emperor so she’s not scared. It’s her first time in the palace. His majestic
grandeur makes her nervous. He orders her to lift her face and look at him.
‘Why do you think
that I am a wise ruler?’ he questions with grave intensity. His grim and
humourless face is enough to freeze anyone but not Ruoxi.
Ruoxi has already
the unenviable position of being the ‘Death-defying
13th Sister’. Her reputation, a social failure, precedes her.
Failure, however, is not fatal, as long as she doesn’t make it a recurring
theme in her life. ‘Carpe Diem’. Seize the day!
Everyone, especially
her sister, Ruolan, waits for her answer in nervous anticipation but Minghui
has a smirk on her face and her younger sister, Mingyu does not even try to
suppress her supercilious smile. They are just waiting for her to trip, to
make a howler and make an utter fool of herself.
The question would
have brought out an icy sweat in most people but it is nothing difficult for Ruoxi.
She has been compelled to think quickly
on her feet, though.
Is she going to talk about politics? The Kangxi Emperor ascended the throne when he was eight and has defeated many enemies. He has quelled rebellions and uprisings in the history of his august reign but mentioning these would not do. He will only be able to evaluate himself and his achievements in later years. She has to provide a politically correct, yet, intelligent answer.
Pressed for an answer, she waxes lyrical about his reign since
she knows a little bit more about him than the rest of the imperial audience when it
comes to actual verifiable facts.
She quotes part of Mao Zedong's poem 'Snow' written in 1936.
‘Is this your
answer?’ the Kangxi emperor queries.
How has our
heroine fare in this dialogue with the emperor?
She quickly falls to her
knees, having thought that she has displeased him, but he suddenly laughs out
aloud. The emperor seems happy that Ruoxi is not what they say she is. Probably,
she has been slandered.
Ruoxi has found
favour with the emperor because she has offered a fresh and original insight
about him, the emperor. Probably he has been hearing too much stale flattery and insincere and obsequious
words from those around him. Ruoxi proves to be intelligent and well-read. He tells Yinxiang, the 13th
Prince, who is bold and courageous and nicknamed ‘The Death-seeking 13th
Prince’, that he is no match for his thirteenth sister.
The emperor is
singing praises of her wit, knowledge and courage. So charmed is the emperor
Kangxi by her intelligence and her beauty, that he bestows on her a gift. She
is delighted, of course, since she has found favour with him.
This event would finally
turn around public opinion about her and help her reclaim her reputation. The
emperor’s admiration for her would latter be reaffirmed and all negative
impressions would be erased. It would become a stepping stone to the greater
understanding between the Kangxi emperor and Ruoxi.
(It has to be
noted that Kangxi, the 4th ruler of the Qing or Manchu Dynasty is
considered one of China's greatest emperors. His reign of 61 years makes him
the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history. He
suppressed revolts and expanded the empire in the northwest. He also
accomplished such literary feats as the compilation of the Kangxi
Dictionary. Kangxi's reign brought about long-term stability and relative
wealth after years of war and chaos.)
The Mid-Autumn
Festival is a night of family reunion where a sumptuous feast would be
hosted. It is perhaps strange to learn
of the Kangxi emperor’s philosophy.
The sages say that
the country comes before the family but for the Kangxi Emperor, there will be
no country without the family. If the members of the Imperial Family is not at peace with each other, the conflict will divide the family. He tells them to remember his words and carve
them in their hearts the crucial
parent-child links of the ruler and the important relationship among brothers.
The air is silent
and still. Languid. The atmosphere is unreal. Ruolan notices that Ruoxi seems
troubled by the emperor’s power. The selection of handmaidens would be soon
and it is definite that she would soon be entering the palace.
The least literate
of the princes is the 10th Prince and he offers his wishes to the
emperor in plain language. The empress reminds the emperor that he is of
marriageable age. The 9th Prince, at that age, was already
married. She suggests that Mingyu be betrothed to him as they are compatible.
The Kangxi emperor agrees and announces the betrothal.
Yin’e is horrified and rooted to the spot. He hesitates to thank his imperial father.
Most probably, he has
Ruoxi in his mind as his imperial consort. The emperor is furious and is about to bark at him when
Yinsi rises quickly to defend him. He strongly urges the bewildered 10th
prince to accept the proposed marriage and to thank the emperor. Yin’e is devastated and visibly shaking.
Does he feel betrayed by his imperial father?
With gritted
teeth, he thanks the emperor. Ruoxi is troubled that one word of the emperor
decides the fate of the people in the Forbidden City. His word is law. Mingyu
has her own reservations but sashays up the stairs to thank the emperor.
Everyone suddenly
rises to congratulate them.
Although he is a
prince, he does not have any freedom. His right to decide on his consort has been
taken from him. In this way, the emperor is able to breeze through imposing
his mandate on the people around him.
On reaching home, Ruoxi rushes out of the carriage and faints.
Does she also have
to resign herself to her fate? She has lived in Beijing for 25 years in the 21st
century and now she is thrown into the Qing dynasty. Her modern education has
taught her that her destiny lies in her hands. It’s impossible to accept that
one word from the emperor could decide one’s fate, her fate!
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