BU BU JING XIN
EPISODE 7
|
POWER CORRUPTS: CROWN PRINCE YINGREN IS ABOVE THE LAW –
MISMANAGEMENT OF TRIBUTES
Many rumours abound. The Crown Prince, Yinreng is
accused of embezzling state funds, stealing the tributes which are meant for
his father and accepting bribes. Anti-Yinreng sentiments have echoed in
numerous quarters of the Qing officialdom.
The emperor has carried out a massive crackdown and
investigation on corruption and has scoured the officialdom for those involved in
bribery.
In the probe, Yinreng has been accused but is not incriminated. Well, he could very well
retort that his enemies are peddling fiction about him.
Certainly, the unverifiable complaints about the Crown Prince
are rife, much like bribery cases in any other dynasty.
In the end, Yinreng is able to escape from the roundup of
corrupt officials, and is found not guilty, much to the relief of the biased
emperor who does not chastise his favourite offspring, and instead closes the case
against him.
Does the emperor make it a practice to turn a blind eye
to his second son’s indiscretions, just because Yingren is his favoured son? His
son has been accused of fleecing the empire of its coffers.
Kangxi has overseen the upbringing and grooming of Yinren
to be his successor. But Yinren has turned out to be unsuitable for the
throne.
Is it a sign of the Kangxi’s emperor parenting failure?
Does it also show his inability to accept the fact that although he has given
Yinren chances to reform, his son has not changed for the better?
The Kangxi emperor certainly plays favourites. Not only
does he not rake Yinreng over the coals for his excesses, he also does not
address the real problem of his weak character. Knowing clearly that
Yingren has fattened himself financially at the empire’s expense, he has not
the heart to chastise him for all his flaws nor make him own up to his crimes. Moreover, the emperor is intolerant of dissent if it pertains to opposition to Yinreng’s position of
Crown Prince.
Ruoxi can imagine that the entire existence of Yingren is one of the lowlights of the Kangxi’ emperor's reign. But, why is he playing the cool, benevolent parent? Can such crimes,
though not heinous, be overlooked?
All is not well in the palace. A crisis is brewing among
the brothers. A rift has grown between the two opposing factions among the
princes. Yin’e has lambasted the Crown Prince for his corrupt practices but
Yinreng is smart enough to sidestep the allegations.
Instead, he points out
that the accuser who has spilled the beans has been misled or duped about the
unsubstantiated allegations but since he is a loyal and dedicated official of
the throne, he should be richly rewarded for speaking out against corruption. Yinreng's tone is heavy with sarcasm. Things can get a bit scary when the Crown Prince
speaks in such a sarcastic tone.
All the Qing princes are born to the purple and are of
the same father, yet they turn out to be so dissimilar and in conflict with
each other.
The emperor has always promoted a harmonious relationship
among his sons. If they are united and fight together for the same imperial aim, they
would be successful in maintaining a powerful empire.
With the corruption case being settled, Yinreng is able
to cement his position as the Crown Prince but he remains unchanged.
The Kangxi emperor's vision of harmony among the princes isn’t what it is
cracked up to be. What he fears most, dysfunctional relationships, become a
reality. Tension persists among the princes. Yinreng’s corruption remains a
contentious issue.
Yinzhen and the Crown Prince discuss the day’s events.
Being highly intelligent and analytical, Yinzhen is able to pander to the
Crown Prince’s ego.
He praises his older brother for having impressed the
emperor enough to let the matter of the tributes rest.
Yinreng blames Yinsi’s clique for trying to bring him
down but Yinzhen tries to smooth his feathers and tells him that it is not
Yinsi’s fault but Yin’e, who is solely to be blamed for his rashness.
Yin’e is straightforward and does not think things
through. Yinzhen advises Yinreng not to make a mountain of a molehill. He
should not exaggerate about Yinsi’s involvement so as not to spoil the
relationship among the brothers and to prevent their relationship from being
acrimonious.
Astonished at his diplomatic response, the Crown Prince,
warns him to be vigilant as some of their motives may be suspect.
Yinreng thinks the whole
matter is not that simple. The
emperor must be mulling over his entanglement in the tribute matter too but
why does he let the matter go so easily?
One thing is a certainty. Yinreng is too thick-headed. He
is so arrogant as to assume that it is the emperor’s public message that he
is the most powerful prince in the future and is taking the opportunity to warn
the other princes to stay within their boundaries. There has not been any
shift in the emperor’s attitude and behaviour so to Yinreng, all is well.
(It has been said
that Yinreng’s mother is Kangxi’s first empress who married him when he was
11 and she was 12. She died at age of 20. Yinreng was already named the Crown
Prince at the age of 2 according to a Han-Chinese custom of Primogeniture,
contravening the practice of the Manchus who normally chose the one with the
best ability to succeed the throne. History is replete with stories of Yinreng
of being a lowlife, cruel and tyrannical. A juicy bit of rumour that reached
the emperor’s ears was he had purchased boys from the south for his sexual
pleasure. He has also a relationship with one of the emperor’s concubines. He,
being disloyal, was involved in a rebellion and an attempt on his father’s
life. The Kangxi emperor was disheartened by his treacherous son and removed
him from his position.)
|
THE EXPEDITION: THE MONGOLIAN STEPPE NORTH OF THE GREAT WALL
 
The emperor would be going on his yearly expedition to the Mongolian Steppe, north of the Great Wall.
(It is said that the grassland was a piece of
land at Mulan, Chengde gifted by the Mongols to him. Kangxi favoured the
expeditions as a method of bonding with the Mongols and a way to train his
troops in traditional martial arts such as archery and horse riding so that they were disciplined and ready for war.)
The Crown Prince has been
instructed to arrange for it and Yinzhen would assist him.
Even if Yinreng doesn’t take revenge for the accusations
against his corrupt practices, he wants to show his rivals some colours. He
asked Yinzhen for ideas to deal with them.
The Crown Prince, Yinreng is not aware that the emperor
is giving him another chance to change himself since he is the heir-apparent.
He must have been spoiled for too long by the emperor to realise this.
On the surface, it would seem that the emperor has no
real insight and does not mete out fair judgement. Some might ask, ‘Could the
emperor have made a grave mistake of grooming the wrong prince to succeed the
throne?’ Perhaps the emperor is not blind. The Crown Prince has not foreseen
that if he goes off the trajectory, he would probably end up losing the
throne.
Yinsi, the 8th Prince informs his clique, who
includes Yintang, the 9th Prince; Yin’e, the 10th
Prince, and Yinti, the 14th Prince that he has been delegated the
job of managing the Capital while Emperor Kangxi, Crown Prince Yingren, Yinzhen, the 4th Prince, and Yinxiang,
the 13th Prince are away on their expedition.
Yin’e, as always, does not understand the intricacies of
situation and thinks that the delegation of this duty is a sign of trust, on
the Crown Prince’s part.
Yinti enlightens him that Yinreng is not that magnanimous
after being accused him of corruption by him.
Yin’e, who is both pea-brained and hotheaded, does not understand the folly of his
accusation. He has implicated Yinsi because of their close relationship. The
blame would be laid at Yinsi’s doors.
Yintang correctly infers that they are excluded from the
expedition because the opposing clique hopes to spread rumours about them to
the emperor during that time when they would not be present to defend
themselves.
Yinti assumes it a subtle warning from the Crown Prince
that if they do anything out of line, they would be dealt with properly.
Yinsi reminds them that the emperor emphasises on the
unity of the brothers. He advises his clique to be cautious and not make any mistakes.
They cannot do as they pleased. Any mistake on their part would be used against
them. He is worried that Yinreng is
going to take his revenge.
However, Yinsi thinks that the Crown Prince is not as
vicious as someone else. Though it is not stated, the viewers know that he is
referring to the conspiratorial Yinzhen, the 4th Prince.
|
THE EXPEDITION: PREPARATIONS
Ruoxi is informed by the junior eunuch, Wangxi that she
has been instructed to go on the expedition as well. The two maids, placed under her wings, are
ecstatic. The trip would be a priceless experience for all of them.
 
At first, she has mistakenly thought that it is Eunuch Li
Dequan’s idea but instead learns, to her surprise, that it is the suggestion
of both Yinzhen and Yinxiang who have persuaded the Kangxi emperor to allow them to go along. But she reasons out that Yinzhen has no
interest about such domestic matters, so it has to be Yinxiang’s idea.
Ruoxi is glad. She now has a chance for at least a measure of relaxation. There is no
question that those who are going are all better off with the relaxing time to
recharge their souls and train their muscles. Too often they are under the
tight reins of the emperor and under too much pressure and control.
For the emperor, it is the opportunity to deescalate the conflict among
the princely brothers.
  
Ruoxi goes out to take a deep breath of the crisp morning
air and to pick purple flower petals in the garden which would be used to
brew tea for the royal family.
Yinzhen and Yinxiang appear in the garden at the same
time but advance towards her from different directions. She is not able to escape from Ynizhen.
Yinzhen measures her from the top of her elegant headgear
to her graceful shoes. He accuses her of trying to avoid him but she denies
avoiding him. He cheekily asks her about the consequences of lying to a
prince? She pretends not to understand.
Yinxiang, grinning at Ruoxi, knows that she is
intimidated by the presence of his serious-looking brother and explains that
Yinzhen is the one who has cajoled the emperor to allow her to follow them on the
expedition. Averting her gaze, she says she will repay him in the future if
she has the chance.
Yinzhen explains to her that the expedition is different from
the situation in the palace in that one cannot have easy access to many things.
He, therefore, instructs her to be well-prepared and to specifically bring
more tea and to pack them in two separate carts just in case something goes
wrong. Here, he shows his concern about her welfare, paying meticulous
attention to the details that are related to her.
He also instructs Yinxiang to enquire about Yinsi needs
before they leave the Capital as he knows that taking care of the
administration is a tedious and difficult job.
Here, Yinzhen shows that he possesses leadership qualities; he is one who is fully-prepared and understands the necessity of mediating and bridging the
differences between the two opposing factions.
Rouxi is surprised by Yinsi’s visit. It is the first time
that he has dropped in for a visit to her quarters. She is ecstatic as she
hardly ever gets to see him, much less spend time with him. It seems strange
that she is happy with his visit because it is just recently that she has
rejected him
What is she hinting to him when she says she staying with
Yutan, but the other maid is on duty that day? Does it mean they are free to
talk undisturbed? Does she have feelings for him?
Since it is her first time to go on a long expedition, Yinsi advises her to be cautious. It has been a couple of years since she entered
the palace but he knows that she has matured; she is not clueless anymore and has become
more understanding.
Yinsi has not expected the Kangxi emperor and the eunuch,
Li Dequan would like her so much but he is fearful that her temper might flare
up one day.
She mumbles that if one wants to get something, one must sacrifice
something and he agrees.
  |
FORGIVENESS:
MINGHUI REGRETS HER JEALOUSY AND APOLOGIZES TO YINSI
 
Minghui has been waiting for Yinsi. He has been
avoiding her for a long time because he still harbours grievances against
her for interfering in Ruoxi’s Maiden Selection Exercise.
However, after noticing her wrist injury, he
is worried. The maid divulges to him that Minghui has been cooking soups for him
every day but he never comes to see her, and one day, she hurt herself. Minghui begs him
to forgive her.
 
She seems sincerely sorry for her wicked deeds and
promises to change herself to please him. She knows she has been mean and
selfish. Minghui seems to love him very much and promises to sacrifice for
him.
His anger dissolves and his heart softens
when she declares her love for him and that she cannot live without him. He
states nobody can replace her position as his first consort. But he does not
say nobody can replace her in his heart, and this says it all about her actual place in his heart.
|
THE EXPEDITION: THE MONGOLIAN STEPPE NORTH OF THE GREAT WALL –
YINXIANG MEETS MINMIN
 
Along the journey, Ruoxi requests Yinxiang
to teach her riding but he rejects her.
While he is riding his horse one day, he
sees a pretty Mongolian girl who is a skilled horserider. She is playing a
traditional Mongolian game, ‘Hunting For Sheep’. He joins in the fun and
manages to snatch the fleece that is used in the game to represent a sheep.
She acknowledges his horseriding skills and his skill at playing the game and they become friends. She tells him her name is
Saren or ‘Moon’ and in turn, he says his name is ‘Star’. Both keep their identity secret from each other. He would later learn that her
name is Minmin, and that she is the daughter of the Mongolian king, Suwan-Guwalgiya.
Having been delayed by his game, Yinxiang is
late for the imperial meeting. The emperor describes him as ‘a wild horse’.
Ruoxi has brought along her tea sets that
she has specially designed for the imperial family. Without Eunuch Li’s help,
she would not have been able to produce them.
She served the emperor and the princes different
flavoured tea in her unique tea-cups, and the
emperor is really pleased with her efforts. Li Dequan is seen using his
silver rod to test for poison as is the practice of the day when it comes to
the food and drinks of the emperor.
The emperor has never seen such marvellous designs
before.
Eunuch Li says he saw Ruoxi’s pretty designs
and had sent them to the artisans to produce them. She tells the emperor that
she has designed 36 different sets.
   
The Fourth prince is served tea in a white
magnolia tea-set since she knows he likes water-magnolias. She has personally
got the information from him earlier.
Yinxiang is served tea in a plum blossom tea
set. Ruoxi does not know the kind of tea he likes but served him the tea
which she thinks is of significance to his life. She knows his happiness would be short-lived and would one day be thrown into prison.
Pleased with her efforts at
designing the teacups, the emperor wants to reward her but she requests that those who have worked
with her be rewarded as well. A personal request is that she is to be allowed
to be given riding lessons.
 
The Mongolian Lord of the Steppes, Suwan-Guwalgiya, comes to visit. Ruoxi
expects the night activities to be fun.
 
As expected, the Mongols have brought a
celebratory mood to the expedition camp as dancing and singing are in their
blood. Suwan-Guwalgiya’s daughter, Minmin, sings
and dances for the Qing imperial family. Her songs are full of love and
passion.
She garlands the members of the imperial family with a ‘welcome’
band.
Minmin is surprised to see Yinxiang whom she
identifies as ‘Star’. She offers him a drink and in response, he also offers
her a drink. Minmin, an accomplished
dancer, offers to perform another dance for the Kangxi emperor.
  |
A THOUGHTFUL GIFT FROM YINSI: RIDING GEAR
The next morning, Ruoxi accosts Yinxiang and
tries to wring a promise from him to teach her riding and he agrees to do so
under compulsion. They agree to meet that very night.
A present arrives from the capital for
Ruoxi. It is a set of riding equipment, which includes a horse whip. The gift
is sent by Yinsi who shows himself to
be a thoughtful person who pays attention to details and knows her heart’s
desire.
 
He knows that Ruoxi, being a very determined
person, would want to improve her horseriding skills after being embarrassed
by Mingyu over her lacking equestrian skills.
|
STAR GAZING WITH YINZHEN: RUOXI THINKS ‘NO WAY’
It is getting dark and the night descends on
her. The open grassland is full of
mysterious sounds and shadows. The breeze whispers in her ears as Ruoxi lays on
her back gazing at the stars and the moon.
She waits for Yinxiang. There is a sudden
movement in the grass and someone is padding towards her. Yinzhen appears.
 
Ruoxi, without looking at the person and
assuming that he is Yinxiang, invites him to gaze at the stars with her.
Yinzhen must have been very eager to oblige
but when she realises that it is him, she hastily springs up from her resting
position and immediately tells him that she does not want to star-gaze
anymore.
She is uneasy in his presence
and is barely able to draw her breath. Confronted with the possibility of
being with him the whole night and frightened by the fact that he unnerves
her, she pleads exhaustion and refuses to have the riding lesson.
Shrugging off his shoulders, he gets up and
collects himself, muttering that they should get on with the riding lesson.
She shifts uncomfortably and wishes that he would not stare at her with that
sort of intensity in his eyes. His piercing gaze has never been so
compelling.
There is a tensed silence on her part. She
saddles up and rides alongside Yinzhen, whose stern instructions on how to
ride and handle the horse ring noisily in her ears. He is a strict and
intimidating instructor and it must have been a punishing experience for her.
|
