BBJX: Episode 27

BU BU JING XIN EPISODE 27

RUOXI COMFORTS YINXIANG WITH HER VERSION OF LUWU’S TALE OF  TRAGEDY: YONGZHEN CORROBORATES THE STORY It is winter. Luwu has committed suicide. Yingzhen comes back from the court and seems extremely agitated. He is troubled about the exasperating behaviour of the court officials. As usual, Yinxiang has been out searching for Luwu who seems to have disappeared completely. He has continued his relentless search into the tenth day. Ruoxi wears her heart on her sleeve while Yongzhen is able to conceal his feelings and keep them under wraps. His countenance is grim and forbidding. Yongzhen urges her to console Yinxiang. He has not been attending court for a long time. Ruoxi pays Yinxiang a visit and is drawn into his world of depression. Yinxiang, haggard, woebegone and out of sorts, tries to drown his sorrows. He drinks himself into a stupor. He is swamped by feelings of guilt and dejection. Consumed by grief, Yinxiang tortures himself thinking of his blissful time together with Luwu. Ruoxi arrives, and a sea of paintings of Luwu greets her eyes. They had been painted by Yinxiang when they first got together. ‘Luwu was happy and full of joy with you,’ she whispers.  ‘With just a short message of a few words, she has erased 10 years of our life together. Does our relationship amount to nothing at all? Is our life together just a passing moment? Am I just a fleeting interest for her? Why?’ Ruoxi is also disheartened by his spiritless, melancholic introspection, and commiserates with him over Luwu's suicide by drinking wine. However, what is shocking to the viewers is that Yinxiang smokes opium! Opium induces bliss and pleasant dreams and it is addictive.  He inhales the intoxicating vapour that emanates from the long opium pipe. EQUIPMENT For  OPIUM SMOKERS Ruoxi, forever creative and always having a slew of ideas at her fingertips, has figured out a way to console him - by telling him a comforting story. According to Ruoxi, many years ago, Luwu wrote a letter informing her that her hometown was in Wucheng City in Zhejiang Province.  She was from a wealthy family and was raised a lady. Yinxiang says, ‘She told me she was from Jiangnan.’ Jiangnan Ruoxi hinted that Luwu’s family’s fortunes changed suddenly, and her family was destroyed in the Revision of the Ming Records conflict. RUOXI'S STORY REVISION of The Ming Dynasty Records ‘When the former* Qing emperor     first ascended the throne, a political incident concerning the compilation of the Ming Dynasty History, caused an upheaval in the country. It was related to the Chuang (Zhuang) clan, who when     revising the Ming Dynasty records, insisted on using the old Ming political names and terms, which was, then, a severe and unpardonable crime. Everyone who was involved in the revision of the Ming records, including those who did the editing, correcting and writing, was arrested and thrown into jail. Their relatives were also not spared.  At that time, 72 people were sentenced to death. Out of the 72 prisoners, the punishment of ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ or ‘the slow slicing of the body' was meted out to 18 of them. 2,000 people were jailed. More than a 100 were banished to a distant place. Many family members were separated.' Death By A Thousand Cuts ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’, or slow slicing of the body ('lingchi'), was a form of torture and execution used in China from roughly AD 900 until it was banned in 1905. In this form of execution, a knife was used to methodically remove portions of the body over an extended period of time, eventually resulting in death.The prisoner underwent a slow lingering death. The term "língchí" is derived from a classical description of ascending a mountain slowly.  ‘Lingchi’ was reserved for crimes viewed as especially severe, such as treason, or killing one's parents. The process involved tying the condemned prisoner to a wooden frame, usually in a public place.  The flesh was then cut from the body in multiple slices in a process that was not specified in detail in Chinese law, and therefore most likely varied.  In later times, opium was sometimes administered either as an act of mercy or as a way of preventing fainting.  THE COMPILATION of The Ming Dynasty Records (Source – ‘China: Five Thousand Years of History and Civilization’) During Kangxi’s reign, the emperor tried to control the minds of the people and suppress any anti-Qing sentiments. Literary inquisitions were enforced. There was even a cultural dictatorship. A case in point was ‘The History of Ming’. Another was ‘The Collection of Nanshan’. Zhuang Tingrui in Zhejiang Province bought the manuscript of ‘The History of Ming’ written by Zhu Guozhen at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and enlarged it before passing it off as his own work. In the book were some lines condemning the Qing Dynasty, so it was reported to the Qing government. Zhuang Tingrui’s coffin was opened and his body was desecrated. His brother, Tingyue (Lead Editor) was executed, and of the more than two hundred also implicated, over seventy were killed and the rest exiled. Dai Mingshi also recounted anti-Qing incidents in ‘The Collection of Nanshan’ at the end of the Ming Dynasty as well at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Kangxi made his displeasure clear. Dai Mingshi was killed and hundreds of people were implicated. Ruoxi finally turns and appeals to him, ‘She stayed with you for 10 years because of her love for you but she left because of ‘filial piety’. Let her live in Jiangnan peacefully. This is her letter to me.’ And she hands over a letter to him. THE CAUSE OF LUWU’S SUICIDE: RUOXI SLAMS ONE OF YINXIANG’S CONCUBINES After consoling Yinxiang, Ruoxi has a short conversation about Cheng Huan with Yinxiang’s first consort. Cheng Huan looks listless and lethargic. Ruoxi indicates to his first consort that she wants to have a tete-a-tete alone with another one of Yinxiang’s consorts, who had been the deciding factor that led to Luwu’s suicide.  Mischief is written all over the woman’s face. Ruoxi slams the lady for her evil and manipulative words and told her in no uncertain terms that had it not been for her children, she would have been put to death. She brings Cheng Huan back with her to the palace as the little girl seems so miserable. Yongzheng inquires about Yinxiang, and he is reassured by Ruoxi that his younger brother would recover. Ruoxi seems to have a positive and calming influence on him. Ruoxi also confides in the Yongzheng emperor that she has told Yinxiang a tale, a lie about Luwu’s background, one that she repeats for his benefit. Yongzhen looks strangely at her. It seems like a coincidence that she is spot on concerning Luwu’s background. He reveals that previously he had sent people to check on Luwu’s family. The findings of the investigation fit exactly the story that Ruoxi had told Yinxiang. Educated courtesans in China have been described in the literary works of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) or Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). 'The beautiful lady and the scholar' are often discussed in literary works.  The courtesans present the positive image of witty ladies with great conversational skills and sufficient talent to compete with the literati in improvising poetry, writing calligraphy etc. They are not just beautiful but are able to dance and sing,     and are knowledgeable on history and philosophy. The primary function of the courtesans were to provide female companionship and emotional satisfaction that the males were in search of. They entertain their customers with stories, music and opera at their homes, at banquets and receptions, theatres, teahouses and restaurants. They served wine and distracted customers with their songs. Strict rules govern the access to the profession. The courtesans received training from musicians since childhood. In principle, they do not prostitute themselves. They sell their art, not their bodies. They were independent and had the power to select their customers. It was impossible to buy them or obtain their favours by giving them money or gifts. However, the rule was not absolute. The Shuyu or courtesans, whose customers appreciate their musical and conversational talents, were eager to distinguish themselves from the common prostitutes, the Changsan, whose customers hope for sexual gratification.  Members of the elites do not patronise the same places as the ordinary city dwellers.  And the courtesans living within the walled city had some form of respectability. Due to some political and financial troubles, some women from good families and educated classes were forced into the world and professions of courtesans and prostitutes. When a prostitute becomes a free woman, she is exempted from sex. Luwu, likewise, was from a good family but because of the Revision of the Ming Dynasty Records, her family was also affected and she had landed up in the brothel and later redeemed herself as a courtesan.

RUOXI’S JEALOUSY - YONGZHEN PROMISES HER WHATEVER SHE WANTS: RUOXI’S EXCLUSIVE RIGHT AND PREROGATIVE TO TOUCH HIS QUEUE One day, Ruoxi makes some snacks for the emperor and personally brings them to him. She arrives in time to witness him choosing a name plate of one of his many consorts whom he would spend the night with. A streak of misery and jealousy shoots through her. That night Ruoxi, being disrespectful of his privacy, goes to his bedroom. Beyond the doorway, the emperor could be seen to be in bed with Consort Nian. Jealousy rears its ugly head.  The emperor, who is having fun in bed, happens to look up and sees her seething with rage in the shadows. Her very presence could have drawn his attention to the doorway. Jealousy and humiliation fill her whole being but she has to confront the reality of the practice of polygamy in the Forbidden City. He has drastically different relational needs but she is devoutly monogamous, and it is an intensely emotional and excruciatingly painful relationship for her. Concerned about her feelings, he gets out of bed and they step out of sight,  and he makes a pledge to her, ‘I will promise anything you want.’ He turns around and she holds onto his queue or braided hair, and compels him to promise not to allow his other women to touch his queue. He playfully jokes that she is the only one who dares to touch it.

MOTHER AND SON FACE OFF: CONCUBINE DE CUTS YONGZHEN DOWN TO SIZE - REFUSAL OF 'EMPRESS DOWAGER' TITLE The Yongzhen Emperor visits his Imperial Mother and offers to bestow on her the title of Empress Dowager but she rejects it. Irked by his devious ways, she still continues to resist his domination over the Forbidden City. She refuses to believe that he is the rightful emperor. Yinti tries to pacify her by telling her that those rumours she has heard are mere rumours and she should not to believe them. Yinti has already accepted the situation that cannot be changed. It is exhausting for him to resist reality. Concubine De asks Yongzheng whether he has any conscience. He is evasive and questions her whether she considers him as her son or not. She does not mince her words when she declares that the deceased Kangxi Emperor had confided in her that he had wanted Yinti to succeed him. It could be seen that Yinti has a positive mindset when he tries to placate his mother.  ‘What is done is done. As long as Yongzheng is a good emperor, whoever is the emperor is not an issue anymore.’   He sounds authoritative and his reasoning makes sense. Is he surprised to hear himself say those words? The school of common sense has taught him about the acceptance of his fate.

RUOXI COMMISERATES WITH YONGZHENG OVER HIS ADMINISTRATIVE AND PERSONAL PROBLEMS Yongzheng drinks drinks wine to drown his sorrows because he feels his mother only favours Yinti. He confides in Ruoxi that his mother treats him badly and Ruoxi, being moved, cries for him. ‘Do you know how difficult it is to be an emperor? Every day, I have to face corrupt officials as well as deal with bickering administrators. I cannot solve many problems. I am only human. I’m stricter with myself than others. I’m really exhausted. YONGZHEN REPLACES RUOXI’S BROKEN MAGNOLIA HAIRPIN The Yongzhen Emperor replaces her broken magnolia hairpin with a new one. Ruoxi is touched by the gesture.

CHINESE NEW YEAR - YONGZHEN'S EMPRESS VISITS RUOXI  The Empress, Lady Ulanara, pays Ruoxi a visit.  Ruoxi has been down in the dumps so, the Yongzhen Emperor has instructed  her to cheer Ruoxi up. The Empress is kind, gentle and gracious. She reminisces about the past and makes Ruoxi understand that she understands her character and appreciates her. She also talks about the time Ruoxi was punished by the Kangxi Emperor for speaking up for Yinxiang and how she was punished to kneel in the palace courtyard. It was raining heavily and the Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, had   empathised with her. She may not have known it, that is, he spiritually supported her by standing in the pouring rain for hours although he did not kneel with his Imperial Brothers. The skeins of rain, in the gloom and heavy downpour, would have made him invisible to anyone who was passing by. By the end of the visit, it cannot be denied that Ruoxi’s mood must have become buoyant.