BU BU JING XIN
EPISODE 5
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THE MANCHUS: BORN IN THE SADDLE
Spring has arrived and it is time for
equestrian activities, which are reserved for spring and autumn. The Crown
Prince, Yinreng has arranged for equestrian activities for the imperial
family. Yinsi, Yin’e, Yinxiang and Yinti are merry making with Ruolan, Ruoxi
and Mingyu who are dressed in their traditional riding finery.
The Manchus, including the members of the
imperial family, are mostly fine horsemen who are considered to be born in
the saddle. The men are skilled equestrians, excelling in archery and horsemanship.
Arm-wrestling is another martial arts skill. The men and women have been
well-trained horsemen from their teenage years.
The atmosphere is jovial and friendly and
there is a lot of bantering among the brothers. But they would not have known
in the near future that their brotherhood would be destroyed with different
cliques plotting for power resulting in internecine conflicts.
(Riding
and archery are considered to be the martial arts of the Manchus. Every
spring and fall, the ordinary Manchus to aristocrats take the riding and
archery test. Their test results could even affect their rank in the
nobility. The Manchus of the early Qing dynasty had excellent shooting skills
and their arrows were reputed to be capable of penetrating two people.)
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YINTI’S
CONSERVATIVE IDEAS VERSUS YINXIANG’S MODERN IDEAS: THE INFLUENCE OF RUOXI
OVER YINXIANG
Meanwhile, Yinxiang and Yinti are in an
intellectual discussion about democracy, equality, classless societies,
freedom of choice and freedom to choose one’s marriage partner.
Yinxiang suggested the idea that when
everyone is born, they are equal. Even the emperor should not control the
lives of his people.
Yinti is surprised at his ideas. He responds
with vehemence that they are born into the imperial family and thus they have
status. The emperor is the ruler. How can one not listen to the emperor’s
mandate?
Yinxiang believes that people should be able
to speak their minds without restriction and decide on their own
relationships without interference from anyone else.
Does it mean doing without Confucious’s
teachings? Yinti, although a Manchu, is like the typical Chinese who is ingrained
with Confucian values. He is narrow-minded and refuses to accept such radical
ideas.
Yinxiang mentions Ruoxi’s unorthodox ideas
of supposedly the people from the future.
Yinti asks Ruoxi, who materialises with her
sister, her definition of a modern person.
She is saved from answering by the
appearance of Mingyu on horseback exhibiting her exciting horse-riding
skills.
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THE EQUESTRIAN SKILLS OF
RUOLAN AND
MINGYU
The Gololo sisters’ riding skills have been
praised to the skies. Mingyu’s horseback riding skills are awesome. She shows
off some trick performance like swinging from one side to the other side of the horse,
one-hand riding and riding hands-free.
All the princes are amazed. Ruoxi’s jaw
drops.
The 10th Prince is teased about his wife. Even his skills
cannot be compared with hers. The Crown Prince says that even the Kangxi emperor is
impressed with the riding skills of the Gololo sisters.
Proud of her accomplishments and skills, she
shows her knack and nose for publicity, hoping to shame the Ma’ertai sisters,
and to be seen as the only amazing horsewoman present.
The admiration from the crowd and her
jealousy of the Mae’rtai sisters must have made her arrogant, belligerent and
demanding.
Mingyu is well-prepared for her gloating
session but Ruoxi is not prepared for the new development. Mingyu proudly
goads the Ma'ertai sisters to show off their amazing riding skills since they
had supposedly grown up in the barracks. This is a clear attack on Ruoxi
since Mingyu knows Ruoxi has no equestrian skills. Ruoxi must have suppressed
her scream and the urge to slam her fist into Mingyu’s obnoxious face.
The air thickens with tension. Is Ruoxi
hoping for the ground to open and swallow her up?
Ruolan understands Mingyu’s agenda. She is
all out to embarrass them, especially her younger sister, in the presence of
the Qing princes. Yinsi is not ignorant either. Yin’e is against his consort's intentions.
Ruolan has always been reticent and keeping
in the background, refusing to be involved in any confrontations.
Therefore, when she rises to Mingyu's challenge,
everybody is surprised. Compelled to save the reputation of the Ma'ertai
family, she mounts a horse and gives the performance of her life!
Ruolan’s horse surges forward. With a
determined expression, she leaves a moving cloud of dust in their faces and
then, she does bareback horse riding, and
showcases many skills, without the saddle.
Ruolan strikes a pose, maintains it for some moments, then
strikes another. She does some spectacular vaulting. Laying back on a galloping
horse with one leg in the air, hanging on to one side of the galloping horse
and standing atop the back of the horse like a circus rider.
Mind you, it is not child’s play. Ruolan
performs her trick riding on her horse at breakneck speed. She seems to embrace
the horse riding culture, riding with one hand and bareback riding without
reins.
Her skills, coordination, balance and
athletic grace are amazing. Her performance stops everyone in their tracks,
and of course, Mingyu is left open-mouthed and staggering in shock.
Ruolan certainly shows she has fire in her
belly.
Indeed, jaw-dropping!
Ruoxi is a cheerleader for her sister,
screaming her name as her horse thunders across the open space.
The astounded Yinsi is congratulated for
having a wife with such astounding horsemanship.
But who has a sour expression hanging on her
face?
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MARITAL INCOMPATIBILITY: YINSI AND
RUOLAN - A MARRIAGE NOT MADE IN HEAVEN
The Crown Prince teases
Yinsi for not being able
to compete with his consort’s skills. Ruolan’s perfect performance is
praised by everyone.
Yinsi and Ruolan walk away from the crowd.
‘When you’re riding on the horse, you look more beautiful
than at any other time,’ Yinsi compliments her.
But she retorts that she does not want to ever to ride a
horse again. She turns abruptly and walks away.
Yinsi tries to patch things up with Ruolan. She seems
miserable.
He hugs her. ‘What’s past is in the past. Let everything
go. We have happy times ahead of us. We have tried to have kids once, we can
try again. I just cannot stand you being unhappy all the time. Did marrying
me make you suffer? I’m a prince and yet, I cannot make my wife happy. What
can I do to make you happy?’ Are we going to be like this for the rest of our
lives? I cannot stand your coldness. Do you not have any feelings for me?'
Ruolan gives him the cold shoulder by remaining very
still in his embrace and saying nothing. Her icy cold manner says it all. It
means that Yinsi would never have a place in her heart. With shoulders
slumped, he walks despondently away from her.
It is a short interaction between a prince and his
consort. but it is enough to show us the coldness of her heart. There must be
something that he has done to turn her heart to stone.
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THE QUESTION OF CLASS AND STATUS: YINXIANG INTRODUCES LUWU TO RUOXI
Yinxiang and Ruoxi have misunderstood each other
concerning Yin’e’s marriage. Both realise that they are miserable for different
reasons.
Yinxiang is depressed because Yin’e’s wedding day is his
mother’s death anniversary. Even the
the Kangxi emperor has forgotten about it.
As for Ruoxi, she feels that Qing life is harsh as Yin’e has no freedom to
choose his own bride.
But Yinxiang is curious as to why she puts her heart and soul into doing so many things
for Yin’e, like organising his very memorable birthday celebration, singing him a birthday
song and folding so many origami cranes. If it is not love, what is it?
Ruoxi explains that the relationship between a man and a
woman can be platonic. They can mutually like and care for each other very
much, but they may not be lovers nor be in a romance. What is important is the
sincerity in the relationship.
Ruoxi is sharing her ideas of heterosexual platonic
relationships where boundaries are set and no one crosses the lines. The man
or woman are there for each other when they are in need for a shoulder to cry
on, and they can let their guard down in each other’s presence.
Soon, Ruoxi and Yinxiang would become platonic friends
and become soulmates.
Knowing that she would understand him and not be
judgemental, Yinxiang takes her to his usual place where he has drinks with his
lady friend, Luwu.
Ruoxi suspects that she is a high class courtesan, a 'ya ji’ who provides companionship but
not sex to men.
He questions her on her opinion on such people. Ruoxi’s
characteristic answer is people are all created equal, with their right to
life and pursuit of happiness.
Then, the prince introduces Luwu to her and Luwu is
invited to eat, drink and be merry. They discuss poetry, politics and
philosophy. Equality. Self-determination. Pursuit of one’s own happiness.
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YINSI’S TOKEN OF HIS LOVE TO RUOXI: THE PHOENIX BLOODSTONE JADE
BANGLE
After the rejection by Ruolan, Yinsi ponders over
his love life. He is holding a phoenix bloodstone jade bangle and thinking of
giving it to someone.
Yinsi summons Ruoxi to his manor. She is panic-stricken as she thinks he might reprimand her for going out for drinks with Yinxiang. He routinely questions
her about her activities.
He seems concerned about her life. He asks her to approach
him. She is apprehensive.
He then wears the jade bangle for her.
What does it mean? Is he staking his claim
over her? Ruoxi seems to be a favourite with the men. First, Yinzhen. Then,
Yin’e. One cannot count Yinxiang in as their relationship is platonic. Now,
it is Yinsi’s turn.
She is spoilt for choice and has to sleep on it to make the big decision as to who should be her man.  |
RUOLAN AND QING SAN’S LOVE STORY
The Ma’ertai sisters have become closer and Ruoxi is
taken into her sister’s confidence.
Her sister talks about her previous love,
a Chinese Han general, Qing San, who had taught her horse-riding skills. She had found a friend who had a similar mind and they were of a similar wavelength.
Ruolan gazes fondly
at the screen showing a horseman in the grasslands.
She had fallen in love with him and begged her father not to send her to the Forbidden City to be married to Yinsi but to no avail.
When she is three months pregnant with her first child,
she hears the tragic news of her beloved general’s death. She strongly
believes it is Yinsi who is responsible for his death. Yinsi, according to
Ruolan, has engineered Qing San’s transfer to the frontlines of the empire to
defend it against the enemies. He dies in one of the battles. Upon hearing of his death, she falls sick and the baby dies in her womb. Ruolan has been
bitter about it and has not forgiven Yinsi.
But later on, a slightly different version of the story
emerges.
When having dinner, her sister notices her phoenix bloodstone
jade bangle. Ruolan assumes that it is from Yinxiang. Ruoxi does not
enlighten her because it might create further tension between Yinsi and her sister.
The triennial Maiden Selection exercise has arrived. The
emperor personally instructs Yinsi to send his sister-in-law for the
selection because she is known to possess beauty and brains.
Yinxiang is anxious for Ruoxi as it is going to be a nightmare for
her. He understands that with her kind of personality, if selected, she would
feel that it is more painful than death.
Luwu says that if she is selected, she would be the
emperor’s concubine, a caged bird in the palace, who is trapped for life. If
she’s lucky enough to be selected as a handmaiden, she would be released after
a few years but by that time, her youth is gone. But, that is an imperial Qing
woman’s destiny.
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FIRST TIME: YINSI CELEBRATES A JOYOUS CHINESE NEW YEAR REUNION
DINNER WITH RUOLAN
Yinsi tells Minghui pointblank that he would
spend New Year’s Eve with Ruolan. She protests because he has always spent it
with her. She has already put up the decorations and made all the
preparations. She compares the warm atmosphere in her residence with the
cold one in Ruolan’s place.
But Minghui knows her best interests would not
be served if she harps on it, so she lets the matter go.
Yinsi knows his mind and leaves. Minghui, though
disappointed, suffers no delusion about his plan.
She understsnds the situation. Ruolan would
never compete with her for Yinsi’s affections.
The magnet in Ruolan’s residence is Ruoxi. Is
he hoping to catch more than a glimpse of Ruoxi? This fuels her fury and
jealousy.
Yinsi, Ruolan and Ruoxi have a great Reunion
dinner together. It is the first time he is celebrating with Ruolan since
their marriage. He seems to be enjoying himself. A smile lifts the edges of
his lips as he looks at both sisters.
After the scrumptious dinner, they have some
interaction together and the conversation drags on. The delicious
dinner-spread, probably carbohydrate-filled, must have been a recipe for
lethargy. Ruoxi has had already far too much food and excitement for one day.
Nodding her head sleepily, Ruoxi finds that she is not able
to stand the exhaustion and drowsiness that comes over her. It is strange
that Yinsi is in no hurry to leave.
They have to stay awake to welcome the New Year,
a custom to pray for one’s parents’ good health and long life. The Qings have
probably absorbed the Han Chinese custom of ‘shou sui’. The older one gets, the
harder it is to pull off an all-nighter. It is just one of those facts of
life, that is, in Rouxi’s case.
Perhaps it is a ploy, on her part, to give
time for Ruolan and Yinsi to be together.
Ruolan asks for a favour from Yinsi, that is, that he should take care of Ruoxi's business in the palace. She requests that he gets the help
of the Head of the Imperial Servants to take Ruoxi under his wings if she is
admitted into the palace. If she can avoid the selection, the emperor would
arrange a marriage for her. Perhaps he should garner the help of Yinzhen to prevent any untoward happenings in Ruoxi's life. He promises her that Ruoxi would
not suffer.
He leaves when the firecrackers are lit. Ruoxi quickly rushes to her bed to sleep. The maid gently queries her as to how she is able to ask for fortune for her parents if she retires to bed so early.
She gets up, goes into the garden and suddenly, turns
emotional and cries when she remembers her own 21st century parents.
Yinsi sees her crying in the garden and consoles her. He has
to get back to prepare for the obligatory New Year visit to greet the emperor.
He gazes at her with love. Does she have any
feelings for him?
Mingyu goes alone to visit her sister, Minghui because
Yin’e has to attend to some work. Minghui complains that Yinsi is in Ruolan’s place and is not with her.
Ruoxi is the cause of it all. She says Ruoxi is a person who is full of
tricks. Everybody praises her. Minghui hopes that after the Maiden Selection exercise is over,
things would get back to normal.
Ruoxi has gone out to see the night festivities and
she sees someone and waves.
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