BU BU JING XIN
EPISODE 26
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RELEASE AFTER A DECADE OF HOUSE ARREST: YINXIANG – A CHANGED MAN
The reunion meal for the Yongzheng Emperor, Yinxiang and Ruoxi after
10 years of separation is not what she has envisaged.
 
‘One is overfriendly and purposely
trying hard to be unreservedly congenial. The other is overcome by his grave
and stern sense of decorum and propriety.'
The Yongzheng emperor wants Yinxiang to cast aside all show of business-like formality and protocol but his younger brother insists on being politically correct and follows strictly to the rules of etiquette and everything is awkward. 'Yinxiang seems to be frightened of him,’ Ruoxi muses. |
RUOXI: CONTINUED ILLNESS – BESET WITH FEAR AND ANXIETY (10 YEARS TO LIVE)  
The Imperial Physician examines Ruoxi and prescribes medicine for
her 'long-term' illness. To the shock of the emperor, he informs Ruoxi that because of her illness,
the most that she can expect live is another 10 years.
     
‘I’m really tired,’ the Yongzheng Emperor confides. ‘Except for
this palace, I’ve no way to go.’ They stay at Yangxin Dian.
He continues, ‘All these years, I haven’t been able to sleep and it is only with you that I could have a good night’s sleep.’ She smooches his brows and they retire to bed.  
She requests Yongzheng to allow Yutan to be her maid.
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FAILURE OF CONCUBINE DE’S ATTEMPT TO UNCOVER SECRETS OF KANGXI’S SUCCESSION MANDATE: SECRET SEALED FOREVER - LI DEQUAN IS FORCED TO DRINK POISON  
Concubine De tries to ferret out
information from Li Dequan about what happened in the final hours of the
Kangxi emperor. She insists that since he was the Chief Eunuch and personal
attendant of the emperor, he would have known what his mandate was.
  
Before he could divulge any secret, the
Yongzheng Emperor arrives and commands Li Dequan to leave. He must have
suspected something is amiss and has arrived just in time to stop their
secret conversation.
 
Later, Li Dequan is summoned to an audience
with the Yongzhen Emperor. The emperor declares his gratitude to Li Dequan
for his unswerving loyalty and meritorious service to the previous emperor.
  
He instructs the junior eunuch, Wangxi, Li
Dequan’s mentee, to offer him wine. When the misty and anxious eyes of the
mentee meet the shocked and dilated eyes of his mentor, Li Dequan, the
viewers have the inkling what drinking the wine means.
 
Li Dequan lifts his black winter fur hat
and places it on the floor. He knows his unavoidable fate.
Li Dequan thanks the Yongzheng Emperor for giving him the opportunity ‘to serve the deceased emperor again’.
Li Dequan is compelled to drink poison
probably to prevent him from leaking invaluable information concerning the
crucial mandate of the Emperor Kangxi on his deathbed. Insinuations that the
Fourth Prince has executed a coup de’tat to ascend the throne are rife.
 
Yongzhen clutches his hands so hard that
his knuckles seem to pop out. His face is cold and emotionless. Tears well up
in his eyes. His wicked and brutal deed must have pricked his conscience.
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REVELATION OF THE SECRET OF THE DEAD HAIDONG QING: YONGZHENG’S
CONFESSION TO THE CRIME TO RUOXI
The Yongzhen Emperor goes back to have his
meal with Ruoxi. Everything seems normal. He seems to have a bad memory about
his most recent deed. His conscience does not gnaw at him anymore.
He announces that he has sent word for Yinti
to come back for the funeral.
Out of the blue, Ruoxi asks him whether he
has anything to do with the dead Haidong eagle.
He smiles sheepishly and questions her on how
she knows it is his doing.
Ruoxi is curious about the betrayal of those who were trusted by Yinsi to send the eagle for the Kangxi Emperor’s birthday.
He explains that young people have their
weaknesses and are susceptible to temptation.
Next, she demands to know why they committed suicide.
Ruoxi is confronted with a blank wall. He refuses to reveal the
truth but she insists firmly on knowing. Finally, to please her, she is told
that an old eunuch had poisoned them and he, in turn, committed suicide to avoid punishment.
‘Are you not afraid that the Kangxi
Emperor would investigate?’
‘He investigated secretly but I
had not expected that he would handle it with such a callous heart. It has made
me see many things clearly and in perspective for the first time.’
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THE MEANING OF THE DRAMA TITLE, ‘BU BU JING XIN’: A MAID IS FLOGGED - THE FEAR OF YUTAN
One night. all the maids and eunuchs are gathered by the Eunuch
Gao Wuyong, the Yongzheng Emperor’s personal eunuch to watch a maid being
punished for divulging to Concubine Qi
about the emperor’s sleeping arrangements in the Yangqin Palace.
Ruoxi insists on watching the terrible flogging, which has been
ordered by the emperor as a deterrence, and a warning to those who might violate the rules of the
imperial household. If they cross the line, they are presumed to be a festering infectious disease that might spread rapidly around in the community of the Forbidden City.
 
Ruoxi could empathise with the victim as it is a reminder of her
own whipping.
The ashen-looking Yutan confides in Ruoxi that she is scared that sooner or later her
fate would be similar to that of the unfortunate victim. She is scared that she is not as cautious as Ruoxi. It must
have been undiluted fright for her. Yutan (33:48) mentions that she is ‘Bu Bu Jing Xin’.
Ruoxi reassures Yutan that since she has stayed back in the palace
because of her, she promises that as long as she is in the palace, she
would not allow Yutan to suffer. Can Ruoxi actually say with certitude that she can fulfill that promise?
Viewers would learn later that this promise, a rash and hollow promise,
could not be honoured by Ruoxi. But Ruoxi could not be blamed because viewers
would know that Yutan has stayed back not because of Ruoxi, but because of
someone else.
This is the incident which gives the drama its title, ‘Bu Bu Jing Xin’.
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THE RECALL OF YINTI FROM HIS DUTIES TO ATTEND THE KANGXI EMPEROR’S FUNERAL
Yinti returns too late.
   He pays his last respects to his late Imperial Father.     
As he turns, his face is blazing as he looks daggers at the Yongzheng Emperor.
 A subservient and enraged lackey of the new emperor denounces Yinti as brazen and impudent for not kowtowing to the emperor. The atmosphere is explosive.   
Yinti never shrinks from a challenge, and he instantaneously boots
the fellow so violently that he flies out of the palace door.
Provoked by his insubordination, the Yongzheng Emperor orders, ‘Issue an edict to remove his General-In-Chief title.’ Yinti is also demoted to be a 'Beizhi'.
Yongzheng loses no time to inform Ruoxi
that Yintang and his gang have been sparing no efforts in stirring up trouble and planting spies in
the palace.
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LU WU COMMITS SUICIDE  
Yinxiang requests his Imperial Brother to allow him to make
Luwu his ce’fujin or consort. He
appreciates her sacrifice and suffering with him for 10 long years under
house arrest and he does not want her to suffer anymore. He loves her so he
is giving her a new status.
However, Luwu objects because of her lowly origins and her
shameful past. She is fearful of smearing Yinxiang’s image, status and
reputation.
 
One day, an agitated Yinxiang requests
permission to go in search of Luwu who has disappeared. Yinxiang does not
understand that she just wants to be by his side to serve him and does not
want any title. If the others know of her background, it would humiliate him
and she wants to protect his reputation.
But, being a strong-willed person and having an indomitable spirit, Yinxiang does not care about the opinions of others. Yinxiang has the courage of his own convictions.  
However, Luwu is made to feel small and
insignificant in one incident involving the second consort of Yinxiang. The malicious woman goes to the heart of
the matter and insinuates that Luwu’s low station in life and her murky past
as a courtesan might jeopardise her daughter, Cheng Huan’s future.
Full of mischief, she grinds her down and asks,
‘You wouldn’t want your daughter to be
associated with your shameful past, would you?’
Is the uncharitable lady playing a sly game?
She suggests that Luwu’s daughter should be raised by others.
Nothing in Luwu’s expression or her attitude suggests that she is demoralised by those words but Luwu has already made a decision.      
Luwu’s mind must have snapped. In order to
protect Yinxiang and their daughter, the only way is to commit suicide and disappear from their lives forever.
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