BBJX: Episode 33

BU BU JING XIN EPISODE 33

YINZHEN-ROUXI’S RELATIONSHIP BEYOND REPAIR: THE ENIGMATIC MESSAGE - ‘I'M WILLING’ Ruoxi confesses to being the instigator who has incited all the conflicts and enmity among the Qing princes. ‘Get out!’ Yongzheng roars. Yinxiang and Ruoxi hurriedly leave the palace, and suddenly, she faints. She has been in a coma for several days. Upon wakening, Ruoxi finds to her horror that she has lost her voice. ‘It is none of your fault. Promise me, that you will never give up. If one wants to hate, one should hate Fate for playing tricks on us!’ consoles Yinxiang. Ruoxi takes Yinxiang’s hand and writes the word, ‘Fourteenth’ because she wants to send an important message, ‘I am willing’ to him. Yinxiang does not understand the message but he passes the message to Yinti anyway. He has not been able to get an explanation from Ruoxi beause of her temporary voice loss. The message was passed to Yinti by a puzzled Yinxiang.  Yinti’s brows crease when Yinxiang looks at him quizzically, asking him what the message means. Yinti replies, ‘It is for Ruoxi’s own good. Just respect her decision.’ Ruoxi must have been really happy after purging her herself of her guilt. She is also relieved that the Yongzhen Emperor has not bestowed a title on her or else she would be chained to the Forbidden City forever. It would be well-nigh irreversible. Meanwhile, Yongzheng’s empress asks him why he has not visited Ruoxi for such a long time. He responds unhappily, ‘The deeper the love, the greater the hate.’ He must have hated her for her betrayal. ‘Back then, she warned Yinsi to be aware of me!’ he says to his empress, the new confidante who has replaced Ruoxi. She advises him to try to understand Ruoxi as at that time of her fateful warning to Yinsi, she has not fallen in love with him. But what the Yongzheng Emperor does not know is: That is only the half of it. The worst is yet to come!

YONGZHENG STALLS FOR TIME: THE UNFORSEEN EMPEROR’S DECREE - YINTI'S ROYAL MARRIAGE DECREE ISSUED BY THE KANGXI EMPEROR Yinti has an audience with the Yongzheng Emperor to ask  him to sanction his marriage to Ma’ertai Ruoxi as his cerfujin or consort.  He presents the Royal Decree from their Imperial Father, the Kangxi Emperor, who had bestowed Ruoxi as his consort. Shocked, the Yongzheng Emperor delays giving his decision. When Yinxiang informs Ruoxi about it, she realises the imperial marriage decree had been a reward that the Kangxi Emperor had given to Yinti for his military success in the Northwest. ‘Do you know how angry he is? He may stop Yinti from marrying you. Rouxi, is it impossible for your relationship with the Yongzheng Emperor to get back on track?’ ‘It is impossible to turn back the clock. We have to face the hard truth and call it quits. Things has gotten ugly and we cannot pretend nothing has happened before. Right now, I just want to leave,’ Ruoxi says with determination. ‘If I’d known earlier the meaning of ‘I’m willing’, I would not have agreed to do it for you,’ Yinxiang confesses. ‘I thought that Yinti has a way to free me from the Forbidden City. I did not know about the royal marriage decree. But, if it is the only way to get out, I will definitely choose this path.’ ‘Are you willing to marry Yinti?’ ‘I really want to leave the palace. I’m sure Yinti would not force me to consummate the marriage. Marrying him is in name only.’ Yongzheng knows that Yinxiang is the one who has conveyed Ruoxi’s message to Yinti . Yinxiang explains that he has been terribly worried about  the life being drained out of Ruoxi, and he wants her to regain her will to live. He has hoped that the message would change her state of mind but he has not realised the implications of her message to Yinti.  However, he feels that Ruoxi does not belong in the Forbidden City.

THE EMPRESS TRIES TO PERSUADE RUOXI TO COMPROMISE The Empress invites Ruoxi to have a talk in the palace gardens. She asks Ruoxi why she cannot compromise. Ruoxi says, ‘A couple in love is not just a simple matter of two persons being romantically involved with each other.’ What Ruoxi means is their love relationship is tied to other relationships and also revolves around relatives. One cannot close one’s eyes to the sufferings of others. ‘Just for the sake of the emperor, let it go!’ the empress urges. ‘I can’t bear to hurt anyone. Yet, people get hurt because of me.’ ‘Can you let go of your past feelings?’ the empress asks. ‘Even if I can’t, I’ll have to let go!’ Ruoxi responds sadly.

THE IMPERIAL PHYSICIAN’S ESTIMATION: RUOXI'S LIFE EXPECTANCY – THREE to FOUR YEARS LEFT  The Imperial Physician informs Ruoxi that she has not gotten better. Previously, he had given her ten years to live. After two years she has 8 years left. But because of the deterioration of her health, she has about 3-4 years left. The maid, Qiaohui, is shocked that a healthy person can become a wreck in the palace and she advises her that it is better to leave the Forbidden City.

THE GUT-WRENCHING REVELATION: YINSI REVEALS HIS AND RUOXI’S SECRET ROMANCE TO THE YONGZHENG EMPEROR Yinsi requests for a personal audience with the emperor because it is family business. What the Yongzheng Emperor is about to hear is the other half of the story! Yinsi begins with his confession. ‘I'll come clean today about my love relationship with Ruoxi. It was love at first sight. Before she entered the palace, I gave her a bangle to express my love. She did not accept at first. But during the expedition with the Kangxi Emperor, I saved her from an accident in which the horse nearly trampled her.’ ‘That day, when I carried her back to the camp, she accepted me. From that day onwards, I taught her horse riding, gave her jasmine flowers and held her in my arms. We held hands in the grasslands and had romantic strolls in the sunset. We gazed at and admired the moon, hugging and kissing each other.’ ‘We also vowed to live and die together, to have a family and to grow old together.’ After Yinsi has left, the enraged Yongzheng Emperor sweeps all the things off his table in a maniacal fury.

THE YONGZHENG EMPEROR TO RUOXI: EVERYTHING IS OVER Yongzheng visits Ruoxi in her residence and discusses what Yinsi has told him about his past romance with her. ‘I’ve finally understood why you’d warned him against me. It is Yinsi who has informed me personally.’ Yongzhen repeats word for word what Yinsi has said about their romance. ‘Do you know how I felt, how painful it was. In fact, words can kill! What Yinsi said was like a knife stabbing me piece by piece.’ Ruoxi feels his emotional wounds and tries to touch him but he sweeps her hand away. ‘I won’t allow you to touch me again. I said that what I feared most was you leaving me. Now, I fear nothing!’

The Yongzheng Emperor announces publicly that as according to the edict of the previous emperor, the Kangxi Emperor, he now bestows Ma’ertai Ruoxi to Yinti as his ce’rfujin or consort.

SWAN SONG: RUOXI'S FINAL GOODBYE - SHE HUGS AND THANKS YINSI Before she leaves for Yinti’s mansion, she gives some of her belongings to Cheng Huan, Yinxiang’s daughter. The Yongzheng emperor watches Ruoxi’s carriage move off into the distance, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. Proud and arrogant as he is, he cries because he could not bear to let her go. Ruoxi is his love of a lifetime. He remembers his happy memories with her. Yinxiang rides with her in the carriage to meet Yinsi, who is waiting for her.  It would be their final meeting. They talk a little about taking care of themselves. She knows that he has risked his life by saying things out of line to the Yongzheng Emperor so that he is compelled to let her go. She thanks him profusely. Yinsi tells her that the springs at the Zunhua Qing Imperial Tombs would be good for her legs. The scenery there is picturesque and the place is tranquil. He stresses that there are no hard feelings between them. She starts to walk towards the carriage but because of her love for him and because she knows she would never see him again this lifetime, she turns and runs back to hug him one last time. He earnestly advises her to cut off all ties and forget everything, meaning to forget all the princes including himself and the emperor and her life in the Forbidden City. This is perhaps one of the most moving scenes in the drama. Yinxiang does not at first understand why Yinsi has revealed to the emperor all the details about his romance with Ruoxi. Ruoxi explains to Yinxiang that Yinsi has done it not with the intention to hurt Yongzheng but to compel him to let her go. The Yongzheng Emperor has the tentacles of an octopus and has a vice grip on Ruoxi and refuses to free her, a bird, from the gilded cage. Yinxiang, upon realising Yinsi’s sacrifice, blurts out, ‘That’s why he’s called ‘The Virtuous Prince’!’

RELEASE FROM THE IMPERIAL BIRD CAGE: RUOXI’S TEARFUL GOODBYE TO YINXIANG AND CHENG HUAN    Cheng Huan kowtows three times to Ruoxi, on her father’s encouragement.    It is goodbye. Yinxiang, her best friend and soulmate, hugs her. Tears well up her eyes.    Ruoxi, the bird, has finally flown out of her gilded cage, the Forbidden City!