BU BU JING XIN
EPISODE 24
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ADJUSTMENT: RUOXI’S NEW LAUNDRY MAID LIFE
Ruoxi is being bullied by the maids in the laundry department, but she has to fight her own battles.
The jade hairpin given by Yinzhen is already broken. She is
also blatantly being asked by one of the maids whether she still wants the snuff
bottle.
She threatens, ‘If you
dare to keep it, I don’t know what will happen to you in the future!’ It
is an ominous threat. Eunuch Chang and the princes might be informed of it.
Ruoxi knows that if the problem is not solved amicably, there
would be reprisals. The maids are surprised at the newcomer’s direct
confrontation. Her self-assurance and indomitability confuse them and make them fearful.
Empowered by the fact that she is from the future and that she
has the support of the princes, she firmly addresses the problem.
Ruoxi steels herself and states that they have complete understanding
of each other. She declares that when she first arrived, she had wanted to
give them gifts but was delayed in doing so. She gives one jade bangle to the
thief and the other greedy maid helps herself to another of her jade bangles.
Ruoxi is not above bribery, giving bribes in exchange for
acceptance and compliance to make her life easier. But the gifts are
sugar-coated with threats that if they do not stop the harassment, all their
deeds would be reported to the relevant authorities. Ruoxi has conquered them
and resolved the issue with her intelligence and understanding of human
nature.
 
She studies the snuff bottle and the spear, all related to
Yinzhen.
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RUOXI’S LETTER TO RUOXI: YINSI AND RUOLAN TALKS ABOUT ‘LETTING GO’
Yinti and Yin’e visit her.
They come with news about Yinsi. After the dead Haidong eagle
incident, his health has deteriorated. Yinti suggests that she writes a letter
to encourage him, to which she agrees.
Ruolan, upon receiving Ruoxi’s letter, reads it to Yinsi. Ruoxi’s
advice to her sister is that she should guard herself against fear and worry. She further
reveals that after she had ‘let go’ of everything, she finally found true
peace of mind.
Yinsi could not have been more surprised if she had admonished
him. He comments that he has not expected that her will could be so strong. She
is the one meting out words of encouragement to them. Now the roles are
reversed. ‘We can learn from her.’
Ruoxi’s will is indeed strong. Tragedy has struck and her world
has fallen into pieces but she is resilient and is able to pick herself up and
recover from her emotional trauma.
Her message to Yinsi and Ruolan is ‘Let go’.
All along, Ruoxi has wanted Yinsi to relinquish his grip on his
ambition to be the next Qing emperor.
But, it is too late for Yinsi to let go of his ambitions.
Yizhen would never forgive him! He would be hounded and
persecuted by his vengeful brother!
Ruoxi wants her to let go of the past and her hate which has for
so long marred her perception of Yinsi, and of life in general.
Ruolan too realises that she should let go of her grudges and
grievances against Yinsi.
‘Once one lets go, there would be no
more pain or suffering.’
She admits hating Yinsi over Qing San’s death and she has borne
the grudge for so long that it has consumed her. She regrets for having abandoned reason. After reading Ruoxi’s letter, she now understands that
the person who makes her unhappy is nobody but herself.
‘Why should I burden myself a
lifetime with something that I cannot take away with me?’
Viewers are probably moved by those humble words. It strikes them
perhaps, that it is one of the immeasurably precious moments that teaches
them a lesson in life.
Ruolan should go out to enjoy herself and learn more about
the world instead of being cloistered in her home.
Perhaps, both of them should be united and should be saying to themselves,
‘Let’s go or let us go forward to the future happily
together!’
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THE NORTHWEST
REBELLION: APPOINTMENT AS GENERAL-IN-CHIEF TAKES EFFECT - YINTI IS SENT TO
WAR
In Kangxi’s fifty-sixth (56th) year of reign, his mother, the Empress Dowager
passes away.
Unrest rages and spreads across North-western China, which is soon occupied by dissident armies.  
The emperor decides to move up the date of Yinti’s departure
for the Northwest. As the
General-In-Chief in the Border-Pacification campaign, he would be in charge
of the empire’s armies.
All the princes send him off, knowing that he is sacrificing
for the empire. He is the first son of the Kangxi emperor to man a huge army
against the enemies.
    
What is the significance of this important campaign? Does it
imply that the Kangxi emperor favours Yinti? Is he training Yinti in military
affairs and grooming him for the succession to the throne?
If Yinti succeeds in the war, he would be the toast of Qing society, and
since he has the military behind him, he would have their protection should
he receive the mandate to ascend the throne. The Kangxi emperor has all his
chess pieces in place.
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YINZHEN’S SUN TZU’S ‘ART OF WAR’ QUOTE WINS THE KANGXI EMPEROR’S FAVOUR: YINZHEN RETURNS TO PALACE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK WITH LONGKODO AND NIAN GENGYAO’S HELP   
Yinzhen gains an audience with the emperor and he brings him a
special combination of herbs for his health. Yinzhen’s timing must have been
perfect.
 
Two officials, Neng Gengyao, and Longkodo, Yinzhen’s staunch
supporters, are there to discuss the war situation. Since Yinzhen is present,
they request for permission from the emperor to ask for Yinzhen’s opinion on
the war situation.
If one looks at the situation, one would have smelt a rat.
Could it be a conspiracy to bring Yinzhen back to power in the absence of the
emperor’s favourite son, Yinti? Conspiracy is a pretty strong word but common
sense would have made one realise that they have banded together to solidify
their power.
In the discussion, Yinzhen quotes Sun Tzu’s ‘Art of War’ – ‘Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy’, one would come through unscathed in a
thousand battles’.
His opinion resonates with the Kangxi emperor and his Imperial Father is very pleased.
Longkodo suggests the idea that Yinzhen be brought in to
help with the administration as they need capable people.
Pleased with Yinzhen’s profound understanding of military strategies, the emperor agrees.
How does Yinzhen know of Sun Tzu? He must have been studying
the great general from the state of Chi, whose victories gained him fame and
power.
Has Yinzhen been practising the tactics expounded by Sun Tzu? He must have if one were to
analyse his moves in the power struggles in the Forbidden City. He is surging forward to become the
front runner for the Dragon Throne.
LUWU AND YINXIANG’S JOY: CHENG HUAN
IS BORN
Good news arrives for the palace. Yinxiang and Luwu’s union
has produced a baby girl. Yinzhen brings the baby to the laundry department
to show her to Ruoxi.
 Ruoxi excitedly scoops the baby in her arms and coos to her. Yinzhen requests that she suggests an auspicious name for the baby. Ruoxi names her ‘Cheng Huan’.
Yinzhen asks her whether she regrets ‘doing time’ in the
laundry department while she waits for him to achieve his goals. Guilt must
have twisted his voice.
She, certainly, has no regrets. And they are loathed to be
separated again. Every visit makes their hearts heavy as they have say their
goodbyes.
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YINTI MAKES A TRIUMPHANT RETURN FROM NORTHEAST WAR CAMPAIGN
The maids talk about their hero, Yinti who has been victorious in
battle after battle. They are swooning over him as if he was their idol.
The Forbidden City is celebrating the triumphant return of the victorious general and his army. 
Talk of the devil and there, he is. Yinti drops in unexpectedly for
a visit. He returns a different man. He
has that spark in his eyes and his demeanour exudes confidence and he is oozing
an masculine aura of an alpha male.
Yinti is like a puma stalking his prey. Their eyes lock. He has
already asked for her hand in marriage from the Kangxi emperor. He has
finally learnt the truth that she would not marry him.
 
‘I asked Imperial Father twice for
your hand in marriage but he has not agreed. Am I so detestable that you
prefer to wash clothes rather than to marry me?’
Yinti assumes that he is not worthy of her. She nervously tries
to correct his assumption. He withers her with a stare of accusation.
Ruoxi offers a compliment, trying hard to restore a small measure
of dignity to him, ‘In truth, you’re
good, very good but…’
In the end, he guesses correctly that she has another man in her
heart, that is, Yinzhen.
He tells her to take care of herself and to ‘let go’.
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RUOXI: RETURN TO THE PALACE TO MAKE SNACKS FOR THE KANGXI EMPEROR The emperor’s health has deteriorated and he has lost his appetite. 
He hints that he has not eaten special pastries for a long time
and he craves them. The meaning is clear. ‘Who
can prepare more tasty snacks than Ruoxi?’
Li Dequan instructs Ruoxi to return to the palace to prepare
her special delicacies and snacks for the emperor.
Ruoxi thinks matter-of-factly to herself, ‘It is Kangxi’s sixty-first (61st) year, and that year, he will pass
away.’
The Kangxi emperor, when served the mouth-watering and delicate
pastries and snacks, is able to discern that they are not made by Yutan but
by Ruoxi. The delicious pastries require a high level of accuracy in the
measurement of the ingredients and only Ruoxi knows the secrets of making
those delectable pastries.
The slightly fragrant and delicate texture of the snacks tickle
his taste buds and the delicacies melt in his mouth.
The Kangxi emperor sends for her.
He must have liked her soothing voice as much as the sight of her beautiful face, and her calm reassuring presence. Soon, she resumes her
previous tea-lady duties.
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KANGXI’S FINAL INSTRUCTIONS TO YINZHEN
 
Ruoxi learns from Yutan that Yinzhen regularly visits the
emperor. He is there morning, afternoon and night.
It is strange that even if the emperor does not see the other
sons, he would always see Yinzhen.
Ruoxi wonders to herself if he would poison his Imperial Father,
though she believes that he would not. She learns that the emperor loves
Yinzhen and Yinti the most.
Yinzhen is delegated the task of hosting the ceremony to
sacrifice to heaven, a responsibility normally carried out by the Crown
Prince.
 
The emperor wants a word with Yinzhen.
‘I’ve already asked someone to
write out the succession decree and I want you to promise me something.’
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