BU BU JING XIN
EPISODE 13
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SPLENDOUR IN THE MONGOLIAN STEPPE:
FROLICKING IN THE GRASS FOR RUOXI & YINSI - THE FRAGRANT
JASMINE SCENT
Ruoxi is surprised that Yinsi has sent so many white jasmine
flowers to be placed in her tent. Sending flowers is a cliché. If Yinsi takes
the trouble to send so many potted Jasmine plants, he must have intended to fill
her life with the scent of Jasmine.
Jasmine is associated with love and romance,
and its white blooms and heavenly fragrance would put her in a romantic mood
and inspire her to whisper sweet nothings into his ears.
At night, the relaxing scent in Ruoxi’s tent
would lull her senses and she could easily drift off to sleep.
Yutan asks what they could do with so many flowers. She suggests
brewing tea, bathing in a tub of water filled jasmine petals or decorating
their hair with the fresh flowers.
Ruoxi goes to meet him and playfully covers his eyes. She cheekily asks, ‘Who am I?’ and he
answers, ‘Fairy of the Grasslands’.
She whispers, ‘I’m a human eating monster’. Laughing, he catches
hold of her and he kisses her passionately on the ground.
Yinsi declares that he is ecstatic. Viewers are thinking, if
Ruoxi is looking for good husband material, she need not look further. He
whispers sweet nothings into her ears and strangely enough, she is beside
herself with joy. They seem blissfully happy together.
But Ruoxi is somewhat shocked to remember Yinzhen’s kiss. Flashes
of herself being kissed by Yinzhen pop into her mind. It is mystifying that
while being kissed by Yinsi, the image of Yinzhen pops into her mind.
Confused by the thoughts of the two men, Ruoxi questions Yinsi
about herself and her sister, Ruolan.
‘Compared to my sister, who are you happier with?’
‘It’s different. When I
first saw Ruolan, I was euphoric. In my imagination, she was delightful and I
loved her. It did no cross my mind that my first impression might not be
accurate. I wanted to possess the
beauty with the clear, twinkling sound of laughter. However, on our wedding
night, when I lifted her veil, I realised I was wrong about her. She was not
the happy person that I'd imagined her to be.’
‘I’ve already made a mistake. How can I make another?’ Yinsi
asked rhetorically. But what he does not know is that he would be making
another mistake.
‘You asked me once why one’s fate has to be determined by others.
I knew then you and Ruolan are different.’
‘Do you know all these years I missed you so much? I want you to marry
me willingly and happily. I don’t want Ruolan’s incident to be repeated. But
your heart is difficult to understand.’
They kissed passionately, rolling on the ground.
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THE NEW LIST OF OFFICIALS
Ruoxi meets the Crown Prince and he makes a loaded comment that
it seems that she has been busy lately. As usual, his insinuating tone is
disturbing to her. She explains that Yinsi has been giving her riding lessons
as the emperor allows her to learn riding.
That night, Yinsi is waiting for her with the dishes she likes.
Ruoxi is flooded with warm and happy feelings but she reports that the Crown
Prince is suspicious of their movements. Yinsi is unafraid that their love
affair would be uncovered. Their romance is not something that is dark or
shameful and to be closely guarded. He says he would make no secret of the
fact that he loves her; his love life is an open book and the romance is
transparent. He promises again that when they get back to the Capital, he
would arrange for their marriage.
They discuss the transfer list and he writes down a list of
people who support the Crown Prince and Yinzhen. Much to her surprise, he mentions
Nian Gengyao.
‘Why are you so concerned about Yinzhen’s business?’ He looks
at her with curiosity. She explains that it is probably because of her
relationship with Yinxiang.
She asks if the list is the new one for the movement of
officials. It can be seen that there is some power play by Yinsi. The winds have changed.
At first, the odds are heavily loaded against him but now things have changed.
But Nian Gengyao’s position has to be decided when they return
to the Capital. Yinti’s appearance in the Steppe is a fortunate thing or else
the list would have been vastly different.
She seems to be unduly curious about Nian Gengyao. Is she prying
when she questions Yinsi about whether Nian Gengyao is an advantage or
disadvantage to him?
Nian Gengyao is an important chess piece in the Qing political
game. Relieved that she is so nosy about Nian Gengyao, he explains that he is
just following the emperor’s instructions. Yinsi acknowledges that Nian
Gengyao has been helping with the security in the Capital.
He is piqued by her interest in Nian Gengyao.
Ruoxi explains that Yinxiang has, in the passing, told her of Nian
Gengyao’s poor and humble origins. But he has often praised the intelligence, the efficiency and effectiveness of Nian Gengyao.
Yinsi says based on Nian Gengyao’s background, it would have
been inconceivable that he could reach such a position of power and status
within such a short period of time.
Yinzhen has worked hard and gone all out for 10 years to help him get
ahead until he became the governor of Sichuan. In turn, he has also helped
Yinzhen. What Yinsi does not know is that Nian Gengyao would be of great help
in Yinzhen’s ascension to the throne.
After the discussion on politics, Yinsi becomes romantic and promises to hold her
hand and grow old together in marriage. Is this also Ruoxi’s idea about their
future?
Is she, at that moment, exploring her other options?
It is time once again for the Qing imperial family to say their goodbyes to their Mongolian allies. Minmin is sad
about parting with them, and she reminds Ruoxi to send her wishes to Yinxiang.
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ROUXI’S DELUSION: ATTEMPT AT SHAPING HISTORY - REQUESTS YINSI TO
ABANDON THRONE QUEST
Yinsi asks her where she wants to go before they depart for the Capital.
They had been in the Steppes for some time. She wants to go back to
the places where they have gone before to rekindle their romantic memories.
The lovers take a romantic stroll under the moonlight. He asks
her if she has anything to say to him. She sends out feelers that she has a
request but does not know whether he
would fulfill it.
He confidently replies that he would do anything to satisfy her every
wish.
But to his shock, she requests that he abandons his quest for the
throne. He says he does not think that it has anything to do with their
relationship.
She seems to be a different person when she appeals to him to
agree. If he agrees, then, they would be together. If he refuses they would
separate.
Ruoxi already knows his answer.
Yinsi could not believe his ears. He reasons that she must be tired but she retorts that she
is clear-minded.
She spells out their happy life together in the past few months,
especially in the Steppe.
Ruoxi talks about a future together without a political life. It would
be idyllic and wonderful.
In spring, they could go to the countryside and pluck some beautiful
flowers.
In summer, they could drift on the boat in the lake.
In autumn, as usual, they could go riding in the Mongolian grasslands.
In winter, they could appreciate the beauty of the snow, read, and
write poetry.
They could also go to Jiangnan.
     
She also boasts of being able to cook a lot of dishes that none
in the imperial court knows about.
Yinsi is flabbergasted and suspicious about her real intentions.
Her demand is a far cry from the sweet words that have spilled from her
mouth. Her words were a crushing blow to him. He wonders whether she already
had a plan right from the very beginning.
His voice betrayed his bitter disappointment about her lack of
commitment in the relationship. ‘Do you have a motive?’ ‘Every lyric you sang
to me and every sweet word you said was all just a show. Have you been
leading me on just for today's demand?’
‘My feelings for you are true. You know it. In my heart, there is only you. You know It. Why?’
‘I can clearly remember what you said, Ruoxi. Why must our fate be
decided by others? Why can’t a person decide his own destiny? I also think the same way.'
Yinsi wants to decide his own destiny and not be held back by Ruoxi. Ruoxi knows that he would not give up his struggle for the throne. But he does not realise that he would not make it to the top, and so, does not understand why she is holding him back. 
He then opens his heart to her.
‘My mother (Concubine Liang) is of low status. I had been treated
badly in the palace. All these years, all the steps I have taken to achieve
what I have now is through hard work. I have taken my future into my hands.’
‘Every one of us is the son of the emperor. Others can strive
for the throne, why can’t I? Based on intelligence and personality, the Crown
Prince has lost out to me. Since he was born, he has been given everything just
because he is the son of the Kangxi emperor's favoured empress. I cannot accept it. I have
worked hard and sacrificed a lot to get the support of Yintang, Yin’e and
Yinti. I have no prominent family ties but I've put in tremendous efforts to reach where I am now.’
The viewers understand Yinsi’s situation and his feelings. A person is shaped by his
circumstances and is the sum of his life’s experiences.
Yinsi is determined because of his mother’s
low station in life. And because he has been bullied, he is even more dogged
in his determination to rise above his low start in life especially when his
imperial father is so prejudiced against him.
Ruoxi cries for his plight and argues that the fight for the
throne is fraught with dangers. She knows how he will end up and does not
want to see him fail in his struggle.
‘I only want to spend the rest of my life peacefully with you.
The decision that I’ve made to be with you is a really difficult one but I’d
finally made it. I want my heart to be close to yours in the future.’
Yinsi insists that he wants the throne and he also wants her. ‘Don’t
think nonsense. Go back and have a rest.’
However, Yinsi does not know his future. It is the cruelty of life that he would be dealt a horrible blow. Man proposes and God disposes. He will not ascend the throne and neither will he have Rouxi.
Back in her room, Ruoxi finally realises that she cannot change history. ‘What
am I to do?’ She cries in frustration but her path is clear. She certainly
knows what she has to do.
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CAPITAL BOUND 
Even after the expedition is over, Yinsi does not visit her. He must have been stressed out after their discussion on his quest for the throne that night.
Or probably, he has been too busy working on palace matters. There have been many
changes happening within a short period of time in the Capital. Although
Yintang, Yinti, Yin'e and all the high level officials are assisting him, there are still many
things that Yinsi has to personally attend to.
‘If I tell him I am three hundred years ahead of time,
he’ll think that I’m either an evil spirit or I’m crazy.’
She has tried hard to capture Yinsi’s heart but it is in vain
because he would never give up his fight for the throne.
She has asked Yutan, in the carriage on the journey back, if
one knows someone is going to die, but he refuses to listen, what should one
do? It is a difficult question to answer. Ruoxi decides that she should live for herself, but not as Ma’ertai
Rouxi.
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MINGHUI’S VIEW: HER DUTIES
AS YINSI’S CONSORT
Mingyu is quarrelling with her feckless and ignoramus spouse, Yin’e, the 10th
Prince. She requests that he accompanies her to visit Minghui who is
preparing to welcome Yinsi back.
Her sister is anxious, and they should be helping her. Doesn’t
he care? He is annoyed as it has nothing to do with him.
But when Mingyu mentions Ruoxi’s name, Yin’e teases her and
agrees that he is very happy that she’s coming back, and he goes off again on his
merry way, disregarding her.
Concubine Liang, Yinsi’s mother, is sick, so, Minghui goes to see her.
Concubine Liang confesses that if not for the emperor’s
affections, she would still be a lowly maid.
Minghui consoles her saying that Yinsi is ‘The Virtuous Prince’
and the people’s hope, so she should be happy.
Yinsi's mother regrets that he has to follow orders and has to tolerate other people’s insults. He was awarded Beile when he was just 17 years old.
Other Princes have been jealous of him.
She is happy that Yinsi is blessed to have married such a loyal
and sensible wife. But Mingyu says it is her blessing to have married such a
brilliant and caring man.
Concubine Liang is surprised by Minghui’s devotion to her son.
‘I thought a woman derives happiness from being loved by a man, but you seem to be happy just loving Yinsi.'
Yinsi’s mother hopes that her son knows how to appreciate
Minghui.
But the viewers know that Yinsi does not cherish Minghui. He is not even aware of her deep and passionate love for him nor is he aware that she would even sacrifice her life for him.
When he was in the Mongolian Steppe, he was chasing after
another skirt even though he has a gem of a wife waiting for him at home. He has become
emotionally distant to Minghui after becoming infatuated with Ruoxi.
In the future, when he realises that although Ruoxi ‘loves’ all the princes including him, her romantic love for him is superficial. He would later regret being smitten with her, but then, it would be too late. He would not be able to turn back the clock. 
Minghui returns home, and Mingyu is still there. Mingyu gossips
about her husband but Minghui advises her to treat Yin’e better. After all, he is her spouse and she should
defend him. Mingyu notices that her sister’s place is spick and span. Her home
is perfect. And she, Mingyu, can do no more to help.
Mingyu divulges to her older sister that she has heard from
Yin’e that Yinsi is ambitious and working harder than before.
Minghui confides that her duty as Yinsi’s consort is to support
him, however big his ambitions are, even if his ambition is geared towards
the Dragon throne. There is a
concentrated look of determination shining through Minghui’s eyes.
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CONFIRMING HER DECISION
Ruoxi goes to see Yinsi since he has not visited her.
He confirms he would ask for her hand from his imperial father.
He asks her if he is able to obtain the imperial edit for their marriage, would she be able to resist it.
‘Nobody can force me. I’ll cut my hair and become a nun.’
He still does not understand why she is still resistant towards the idea of their marriage.
When she repeats that she wants to discourage him from fighting
for the throne, he is confused.
Ruoxi does not dare to tell him about his future but can only repeat that the path to the throne is fraught with perils. She reasons out that if he succeeds, he gets the highest position, but if he fails, at best, he would be like the First Prince who has been thrown into solitary confinement.
Yinsi would not stop now. He is not afraid of failure and would
be responsible for the consequences. ‘I
cannot give up now, after all the hard work. Even if I don’t have a chance, I
will also try.’
Ruoxi compares him to the Fifth Prince who is intelligent and
has a lot of knowledge but has not been seduced by the thought of ascending
the Dragon throne.
When Yinsi offers Ruoxi the position of empress, she sniffs at
his offer and tells him frankly that she has never entertained such an idea.
When he asks her why she would not live and die with him,
reality hits him when she tells him that she is afraid. She
knows that they definitely have no future together. She is just being
down-to-earth about the relationship. With that, she walks off, and out of
their romance.
She is miserable, and lost in her thoughts and she carelessly mixes the various dried
flowers with the tea leaves.
Ruoxi asks her maids whether they have read the sad love story,
‘The Butterfly Lovers’. They have
read it.
Two lovers could not love in this earthly life but they got
together after death as butterflies.
Ruoxi asks the maids, Yutan and Yunxiang, ‘If you love someone,
and you know your time together is limited, would you still want to be
together with that person?
The two maids are of the same mind in that they prefer to have a
short time with the person they love than to live a lifetime of suffering
with a person they do not love.
She mulls over the matter. If she is with Yinsi, based on Qing
history, she would have 16 more years with him. Ruoxi knows she does not love
Yinsi enough to want to live only 16 years with him.
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BULLYING AS IF ON CUE: HONG WANG KICKS RUOXI
One day, Rouxi takes shelter from the rain in one of the
pavilions.
She meets the Gololo sisters, Minghui and Mingyu. Minghui’s son, Hong Wang, young as he is, is under the mistaken belief that Ruoxi is
the family’s nemesis and therefore, gives Rouxi a sharp kick. She almost yowls
in pain.
It dawns on Rouxi that the mean Gololo sisters could have
ganged up to bully her sister, Ruolan, with the assistance of Hong Wang.
Have the Gololo sisters nothing better to do than bully the
Ma’ertai sisters? Ruoxi wishes to take her leave but Minghui wants to continue to
harass her.
Suddenly, Yinzhen appears and takes stock of the situation. He understands
that she is being bullied. Strong arm tactics are being used to intimidate
her and although, Ruoxi has the strength of character to stand up to the
bullying, she has trained herself to be very patient with the Gololo sisters
and does not want to create a scene.
Yinzhen allows her to go.
Suddenly, indignation got the better of her and she refuses to suppress
the urge to be catty. She admonishes them in the presence of Yinzhen.
This time, it is different. It is not just adults bullying
another adult, but a child has got into the picture. They are training a child
bully in the palace. And Ruoxi is chagrined that her sister, a peace-loving
person, is being bullied by Hong Wang from the secrets that spill from his
lips.
RUOXI COMPLAINS TO YINSI ABOUT HONG
WANG AND MINGHUI
When Ruoxi meets Yinsi she loses no time in informing him of the atrocious
behaviour of his son, Hong Wang. She does not mince her words when she makes her accusations
and complaints against the little boy.
The boy has been going to Ruolan’s residence to bully her. This
reflects badly on his parenting skills, and his inability to wield an
effective influence over his family.
‘You spoil your son. It is your business if your wife uses your
son to bully others. You pretend not to see. Little wonder he is being influenced
to even bully defenceless adults.’
Ruoxi is aghast that her mild and amiable sister, Ruolan, is a
victim of bullying and she hopes he, an influential and powerful prince at
court, would exert his influence at home and take care of defenceless victims
like her sister. She advises him that it is in his best interest to look into
the domestic matter.
Yinsi is upset at her criticisms and asks, ‘Why can’t we be
like before? Must we quarrel?’
Her answer brings him down from the clouds and to reality. ‘In
the grasslands, it is only you and me but the situation is different in the
Forbidden City.’
Yinsi does not realise that he has been living in a fantasy
world in the Mongolian Steppe for a few months. He has succumbed to a life
fuelled by fantasy. There is no struggle for the throne there, and none of his
wives nor relatives are there to intrude in their lovey-dovey world. There is something
appealing and seductive living in one’s dream world. Has he fallen in love
with ‘love’ itself?
Perhaps Yinsi does not understand the reality of pain and
suffering in the real world. Has he forgotten Minghui’s flaws and her haughty
character? Is he numbed to the ugly reality of palace life?
‘I will ask Hong Wang. If you worry about Ruolan, you should
marry me earlier. You can be by your sister’s side every day. Who would dare
to bully her if you are by her side? I am confused by you. Why do you hesitate
to marry me? Do you have no faith in me? Is there another reason?'
He tells her he is not ‘Xiang
Yu’ and he won’t allow her to be ‘Consort
Yu’. He means that he would not let her suffer because of his own
problems.
YINSI PUNISHES HIS SON
Yinsi punishes his son for being a bully. He discusses his education with Minghui. Minghui’s mentality is narrow and her spirit is mean.
Naturally, it discomfited her to have her perception of her
seniority and the upbringing of their son brought into question.
Hong Wang, who was admonished, was kneeling with his shoulders
slouched.
Hong Wang’s lack of manners and disrespect for his elders are some
aspects that reflect badly on his imperial family education.
Since they are discussing the child, Minghui gives the signal
for Hong Wang to take his leave, and he scurries off in obvious relief.
Yinsi advises her not to be a bad influence on their son. Their son is a blank page and he does not
want any stains on that blank page, he elaborates.
Her spiteful retort, ‘Are there any stains between us?’ shows
that she is not listening, and the message is totally lost on her.
Yinsi is not happy with Minghui and he does not want her to be
like other Qing court ladies who spend their time in useless pursuits but to put
more effort into bringing up their son, Hong Wang.
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YINSI: ANOTHER FUTILE ATTEMPT TO SAVE HIS MARRIAGE -
EXPLANATION OF THE PAST TO RUOLAN
Yinsi drops in for a visit when Ruolan is praying. He brings a
gift of cloth from Jiangnan but she protests and tells him to give it to Minghui
instead, knowing that the older consort would be envious, if the news of the gift falls on her
ears.
He hopes to have a miraculous breakthrough with her. He has
nothing but understanding for her. Yinsi says he has let her down but tells
her to ‘Let go of the past.’
He then tells her that he did not kill her beloved general, Qing San.
She is trapped in the stranglehold of her unhappy memories and has fallen
prey to her suppressed anger against him. This has crippled their marriage.
‘After you married me, you’d never smiled. Therefore, I sent a person to investigate and discovered the
reason why. But that investigator alerted your father. Your father sent Qing San to
the battlefront where he was killed. It was not my idea. With his death, your
heart has been buried in the ground with him. I cannot expect to win your
heart.'
Yinsi understands the incident has stuck out clearly in her
memory. She had thought that it was all his doing.
When Yinsi says, ‘I did not Kill Bo Ren, Bo Ren died because of me', he is referring to the
story and idiom (Wo Bu Sha Bo Ren, Bo Ren Que Yin Wo Si – 我不杀伯人，伯人却因我而死.)
He confesses that though he did not have a direct hand in Qing San's death, he was an indirect link to his death, and he regrets it.
‘Being with a person you hate is worse than being with a person you have no
feelings for. It’s total suffering. Now that you know the story of Qing San’s
death, please don’t hate me anymore.’
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