BU BU JING XIN
EPISODE 10
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IMPERIAL PUNISHMENT: THE PRINCES IN
DIRE STRAITS - RUOXI PLEADS FOR MERCY
Ruoxi goes to the palace and pleads on behalf
of the princes, especially Yinsi. She speaks her mind. The emperor has mandated that nobody is to
defend the Yinsi, the 8th Prince but her conscience would not
allow her to remain silent.
Eunuch Li Dequan tries to stop her. Kangxi,
who heart is callused, allows her, knowing that it would be in his interests to
listen to her.
She acknowledges tha fact that he loves his imperial
children. When the 18th prince died, he fell sick.
The Kangxi emperor says, ‘Enough’ but Ruoxi would not
stop. Having been reminded him of his love for the dead prince, the emperor relives his painful
experience.
She has, in actual fact, aroused his feelings of love for his offsprings and stirred his conscience. 
Various questions and issues might have
popped up in the viewers’ minds.
The emperor desires to enjoy family life,
but have his children failed him or has he failed his children? Is he
disillusioned with their supposed lack of filial piety?
Is it a horrific nightmare to him that some
his children are corrupt and evil? Is he unhappy that some are plotting
against each other in order to ascend the throne? Has their disunity weakened
the family structure?
Is he to be blamed for Yinreng’s
shortcomings? He has personally brought Yinreng up. His empress had died
young.
If Yinreng ascends the throne, would his brothers
have to suffer because of him?
The Kangxi emperor fears disunity and discord
among his sons. Disunity disrupts the imperial family. He wants them to
resolve their conflicts amicably.
He is caught in the middle of the conflicts
among his sons. Is he guilty or being defensive about punishing the wrong
sons instead of just the Crown Prince?
Ruoxi tries to soften his heart which has been hardened by his disappointment with his sons.
She tells him that ‘If he is benevolent, he will gain the filial piety of his children.’
The air is fraught with tension. He is
incensed and orders her to retreat so she withdraws from his presence.
Has Ruoxi shown him the naked truth about
himself? Are her arguments flawless?
Eunuch Li Dequan’s relationship with the
emperor is special but the eunuch knows his place, and plays by the rules.
The eunuch, though not grovelling, tries to allay the anger of
the emperor by saying that Ruoxi is offensive and is getting more audacious by
the day but to his surprise, the emperor displays his irritation at those
words. The emperor knows the truth of Ruoxi’s words and is moved by her display of concern for the imperial family.
Being quite perceptive and wise, Li Dequan quickly
changes his tune to suit the moment. Singing a different tune which is in line with the sudden changes of the wind is a skill that he has learnt very quickly through his
experiences of dealing with the Kangxi emperor.
What he next says seems to find favour with the
emperor. The Son of Heaven seems appeased with the explanation that although
Ruoxi is certainly rash, she is grounded in fact, well-meaning and has his
welfare in her heart. What he means in a roundabout way is that she is no
meanie but just speaks the truth. He has understood that whatever Ruoxi has said
has tugged at the emperor’s heartstrings.
The emperor is known for his love for the
family but he has zero-tolerance for disunity among his children. Is there a
foolproof way to ensure their unity?
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PRINCE YINTI IS FLOGGED AND
YINSI IS STRIPPED OFF HIS BEILE
TITLE
Flogging is a routine court punishment in imperial China. Yinti is given 20 strokes but he is unremorseful and unrepentant about
speaking up for Yinsi.
He is not dissuaded by his father’s harshness
but when his beloved mother, Concubine De, admonishes him for being rash and
advises him to think carefully over every word and action in the future, he
agrees readily.
Yinzhen brings a snuff bottle of medicine for Yinti but he rejects it.
Yinti accuses his older brother of not trying
to save him from their imperial father’s wrath. Is he afraid that his own head
would roll?
Concubine De, their biological mother, demands
for an explanation for his self-centred and selfish actions.
Yinzhen's explanation is , ‘If he joins them to
plead for mercy, their father would be even more displeased. It would worsen the
situation.’
His mother advises him not to disregard the life
of his younger brother; he ought to protect him.
Yinzhen understands why his mother is angry.
In actual fact, he, unlike the 14th prince, has not been brought
up by his mother. His mother favours the younger prince.
Yinzhen feels unloved. Only Yinxiang
understands his situation.
Meanwhile, Yinsi visits Ruolan and confides his troubles and unhappiness to her. He feels that he has been unfairly discriminated against by
the emperor. He has been stripped of his ‘Beile’
title and investigations on the accusation that he has been trying to usurp the former Crown Prince’s
position would be carried out.
He feels depressed but, to his utter disappointment, Ruolan is cold, unmoved, and almost indifferent. She nonchalantly asks him what he wants her to say to him.
Exasperated, he tells her to continue reciting
her Buddhist sutras. He knows that she is an escapist and lives in her own fantasy
word. For Ruolan, reciting the sutras keeps her mind calm and at peace, and
is a way to escape into another world.
He has probably thought she would at least try to comfort him with some words of consolation and encouragement but by her manner, he knows that she is not in the least interested in him. There is no passion between them, no love lost between the two. She has actually retreated into her own world and refuses to be involved in political affairs or his life. And since she does not love him, she does not care.
What a sad state of affairs. There are too
many misunderstandings, like an immovable mountain, between them.
COMMISERATION: YINSI AND YINZHEN
Yinsi meets Yinzhen in front of Ruoxi’s
quarters. They invite themselves to sit down for some refreshments and request
to be served tea by Ruoxi.
They discuss the situation that Yinsi has been
stripped off his titles by the Kangxi emperor in the heat of his passion.
The emperor would soon see the folly of his
ways. There would soon be light at the end of the tunnel.
Yinsi has realised too late that Ruoxi's warning turns out to be true. The emperor still loves Yinreng very much and cannot bear to punish him
too drastically.
Yinsi lacks insight and has not looked at the
succession matter in light of his father’s bias and has not weighed the
consequences of his manoeuvres. Yinsi regrets the whole business of
implicating the ministers and princes who have supported him.
Yingzhen is also suffering because his younger
brother is unhappy that he, being the older brother, had not pleaded for
mercy for him. Yinsi and Yinzhen commiserate with each other. Their sympathy
for each other and their words of consolation for each other reduce their suffering.
But then what is real, and what is window-dressing is yet to be seen. 
Ruoxi is invited to drink tea with them
because it a rare occasion that friends can drink tea together.
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PATERNAL LOVE: PARDON FOR THE PRINCES AND THE FOLLY OF THE
RESTORATION OF YINRENG TO CROWN PRINCE POSITION
Wangxi has good news for them. The court is
back in session and the emperor is in a generous mood and has restored the
Crown Prince title to Yinreng, and Yinsi’s ‘Beile’ title is also restored. He
has bestowed the Third, Fourth and Fifth Princes with the title, Prince of First
Rank. He has also bestowed the title of Beile to the Seventh, Ninth, Tenth,
Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes.
Ruoxi’s presence in the palace has certainly impacted everyone’s life.
Now in all candor, the emperor has duly
re-established the pecking order. His
favouritism is most visible. Ruoxi is right about the emperor. He is just
waiting for a chance to restore the crown prince to his position. The Second
Prince would continue his merry way to overconsumption and privilege.
Ruoxi is deliriously happy that Yinsi is
restored to his former Beile
position. He need not languish in his bleak situation. Wangxi and Yutan are
happy for her.
It is still unclear what this would finally
mean. Will the conflict among the princes be a long drawn out one?
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YINTI AND YIN’E FULFILL RUOXI’S BIRTHDAY WISH: SPENDING TIME WITH
RUOLAN
 
lilac Chrysanthemum
Yin’e and Yinti visit her. She is picking lilacs or lilac-coloured flowers to prepare tea leaves for the imperial family. Lilacs are symbols of love.
They remind her about her own birthday. Yin’e
asks her what she wants for her birthday. All she wants is to be with her
sister on her birthday as they cannot meet easily.
Lilacs blossom in June, so Rouxi’s birthday is
in the summer time.
Yinti quotes a Chinese proverb. It is meant
for Ruoxi’s ears.
Pluck
flowers as they bloom
(Seize opportunities as they come) Wait and you will only have twigs. (Hesitate, and they will be gone)
On her birthday, Ruoxi is surprised to be
summoned to Concubine Liang’s residence to create some embroidery
designs for her handkerchiefs. She knows at once that the concubine is Yinsi’s
mother.
When Ruoxi catches sight of her sister, Ruolan, she
realises why she is being called to the residence. Yinsi, has probably been
informed by Yin’e and Yinxiang of her birthday wish, and
has specially arranged for her to be with her sister on her birthday.
It is a heartwarming moment for the reunited
siblings who reconnect after years of being apart. They have a session of
sisterly sharing.
Ruolan advises her on Concubine Liang’s favourite
colours and patterns as Ruoxi plans for the patterns for the embroidery.
Ruoxi confides in her sister that her happiest
days are with her. Her sister's presence has evoked some nostalgic feelings. Ruolan queries her about her marriage plans for the future and who she loves
but Ruoxi cleverly evades the questions.
Ruolan reasons out that since the emperor likes
her, and she has the maturity to speak and plan for herself, she should convey her wishes to the emperor. Her sister
misunderstands that she likes the Yinxiang, the 13th Prince since
she is still wearing the phoenix blood stone jade bracelet, a gift Ruolan has
mistaken to be from him.
What Ruolan does not know is that it has been
given to Ruoxi by her own husband, Yinsi.
Why is Ruoxi so secretive about their
relationship?
They discuss other possible love matches. When
asked about Yin’e who is married to Mingyu, Ruoxi voices her objection to
such a union. She is in no hurry to fight a woman over a man for a lifetime.
She states matter-of-factly and firmly that if
she wants to marry, she would marry a man whom she loves and who must love
only her.
Does she still harbour illusions about love?
Yinsi, the one whom she seems to be in love with already has two wives whom he loves,
Minghui and Ruolan. Why would she
think he would love only her?
Minghui was granted to be his wife by the
emperor. It may not be a love match but she loves him dearly and would even
sacrifice for him. Probably he has grown to love her. As for Ruolan, he fell
in love with her at first sight. Even though she is cold towards him, he
still cares for her. Does Ruoxi really want to end up with a prince who is already emotionally tied to two consorts?
She questions Ruolan as to whether she hates
Yinsi. Ruolan confesses that she does not hate him but she would never
forgive him. She blames him for the death of the love of her life, General Qing
San.
Concubine Liang compliments Ruoxi’s on her
artistic talent. Being observant even for her age, she notices the phoenix bloodstone jade
bangle on Ruoxi’s wrist and realises that her son, Yinsi, has given it to
her.
When going back to her quarters, Ruoxi spots
Yinsi and follows secretly behind him, but hides when he turns around. He
must have sensed her presence.
She is out of her mind. She does not understand why she follows him. Even though
she tries not to love him, she knows that she cannot forget him.
One night, Ruoxi has a horrible nightmare about Yinsi eagerly
climbing up the steps to the throne and gleefully sitting on it. Yinzhen's face
looms large. Yinsi’s ambition has instigated Yinzhen to dislodge him from the throne and to kill him. All these images pop in and out of her head in pulsating
flashes.
  
She gets up in fear; straightens her spine,
taking a moment to get her bearings and to blink the fog from her eyes.
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DA HONG BAO TEA
(Big Red Robe Tea)
Yinti, the 14th Prince, visits
her and they drink tea. The high quality, Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) tea
is bitter. It is a highly venerated tea which is grown in the Wuyi
Mountains.
  
According
to legend, the mother of a Ming dynasty emperor was cured of an
illness by a certain tea. That emperor sent great red robes to clothe the
four bushes from which that tea originated.
  
Yinti seems to enjoy Ruoxi’s company and
confides in her that he is bitterly
disappointed with with his older brother, Yinzhen, for not defending him. He
has gone through a rough patch and now vents his pent-up frustrations and despair against
Yinzhen. He is distraught with the hard-to-swallow truth that it is the 5th Prince who had protected him,
not his biological brother, who only stood on the sidelines.
Ruoxi thanks him for arranging for her sister
to meet her on her birthday.
Yinti, then, queries her about her feelings
towards Yinsi. Yinsi has done a lot for her during these two years. He told her
some secrets concerning her entry into the palace. Yinsi had worked hard
behind the scenes to remove her name from the Maiden Selection list.
Concubine De, his mother, and Concubine Liang, Yinsi’s mother had also secretly helped her avoid becoming part of the imperial harem. Yinsi has been angry with Minghui for wrecking his plans of helping her to get out of the imperial palace, so much so, that he has not any contact with her for almost half a year. 
‘Do you love Yinsi?’ the 14th
Prince interrogated her. Ruoxi answered vaguely that she does not know.
Yinti does not mince his words when he tells her that Yinsi has suffered because of her. Yinti
rationalises that Yinsi has only two wives and two servants, meaning he is
loyal and faithful unlike other princes, so why is she hesitant?
Yinti has taken Yinsi’s love life into his own
hands and is furious with her for not giving him a direct answer. What does she actually want?
Is Yinti also in love with her? Why should
he be so concerned about her life?
Just then, Yinzhen and
Yinxiang drop in for a visit.
When Yinti notices them, he spits deprecatingly at her as he gets up to
leave, ‘No wonder you don’t know!’ His tone smacks of the same kind of
disdain that marks his eyes.
His scathing and bitter remark must have hurt her deeply and make her cringe. Her face is stricken with sadness. Yinti has forgotten his manners. 
Yinzhen and Yinxiang have come for a cup of tea from the
birthday girl. Yinzhen observes her as she quietly serves them the famous tea
from Mt Wuyi.
She is treated well by the emperor because she has also been allowed to drink this rare and highly prized tea reserved only for royalty.
Ruoxi is grateful to Yinxiang and thanks him
for arranging her sister’s visit to the palace on her birthday.
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BIRTHDAY GIFT FROM YINZHEN – THREE BOTTLES OF PERFUME
Yinzhen brings his
birthday gift for Ruoxi. It is a box of three bottles of perfumes. The
present would provide her some form of distraction, and give her something to
mull over in
times of loneliness.
 
When the princes have left, Yutan suddenly confides that she shares the same birthday as Ruoxi but
she is not as lucky as Ruoxi as she does not get to celebrate her birthday.
Seeing
that Yutan is so miserable, Ruoxi rummages through all her boxes of gifts and
takes out a pair of jade earrings for her.
Ruoxi tells Yutan that, in exchange, she can embroider a handkerchief
for her.
Yutan is the eldest in her family. She misses her family.
They
look at the moon and kowtow, and pray for their parents.
The emperor suddenly looms large in the maids’ presence. He has been walking in the imperial gardens
with only a eunuch by his side.
Ruoxi feels so sorry for him because he seems lonely; he is separated
from his sons and his grandchildren. For a man of his power and position,
relationships have taken a backseat. He is always accompanied by eunuchs.
It is true that a man at the top, at the pinnacle of success, is a lonely man. The Kangxi emperor seems so vulnerable; his image is that of an aging emperor who is isolated and lonely. Power and success do come at a cost. |
ANOTHER EXPEDITION TO THE MONGOLIAN GRASSLANDS NORTH OF THE
GREAT WALL
   
The emperor receives a report. He only has a
quick glance at it as he seems to have understood the gist of the contents.
 
Kangxi then instructs Li Dequan to arrange
for another expedition north of the Great Wall.
Only the Crown Prince and Yinsi, the 8th
Prince, are invited to the emperor's expedition.
Yinzhen would be in charge of the court
matters in the Capital while they are away. He would be assisted by the 9th (Yintang), 10th (Yin'e) and the 14th (Yinti) Princes.
The Kangxi emperor mandates that court
matters would be reported daily by a messenger. All other communication is
forbidden. The formation of factions is also not allowed in his absence.
The emperor is beginning to be wary and suspicious
of the ambitions of Yinsi. He does not want to provide Yinsi with the opportunity to sway the emotions of the court officials with his clever manipulation in the Capital while he is busy with the Mongolian expedition.
The Kangxi emperor seems to have formulated
a grand design for power control in his absence from the capital. He has
already made up his mind to curb Yinsi’s power. The power of the Crown
Prince, since his demotion, has been greatly reduced. Yinreng has been trying to
get court officials to help him regain his former powers.
The struggle for the throne seems to be
heating up during this expedition. There seems to be a lot of plotting, manoeuvring
and manipulation going on.
When tea is served, the emperor mentions
that his teacup is the design of the chrysanthemum.
The Chrysanthemum (菊花) signifies
intellectual accomplishments, cleansing qualities, and longevity of
life. It symbolizes powerful Yang energy, nobility and elegance.
  
The Crown Prince’s tea set is in the form of
a poeny. Peony signifies richness, opulence, beauty, honour and high social
status.
 
green
peony
The royal family hopes to drink the ice fruit juice that Ruoxi used to make as it is a refreshing drink.
The emperor allows Ruoxi to continue learning horse riding.
Ruoxi remembers her riding lessons from Yinzhen in the previous expedition. Every one of his moves, every word he has said to her is fully etched in her mind. 
On the trip, they meet the Mongols again.
And she meets Minmin.
One morning, Minmin teaches her to ride but
the horse runs wild. Yinsi, who is near, comes to her rescue.
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