Bu Bu Jing Xin - episode 8
To nobody's surprise, I am sure, I loved this episode as well.
A number of things happened in this ep to move the story forward - both political and personal. On political front, Kang Xi stripped the Crown Prince of his title, thus unwittingly putting the prince battle into motion (no surprise - he has a number of capable, ambitious sons - they never thought of being Emperor because everyone assumed Two would just inherit, but now the field is wide-open and it's going to get ugly).
Completely random thought - Thirteen and Ruoxi are really very alike. I wonder if Four is very drawn to the straightforward, fearless and loyal type - seeing that he falls for Ruoxi and Thirteen is his best friend. Hmmmm.
Oh, and the other big thing that happened was the Four/Ruoxi disaster. I loved the kiss scene and the aftermath. Poor Four, so excited (in his v.v.v. contained way) that he gets to teach Ruoxi riding again...
He thinks Ruoxi likes him back and, let's face it, the way she acts, it's a completely reasonable assumption. Of course, Ruoxi is only treating him extra-well because she knows he will win the succession fight and she doesn't want to be on his bad side. But! So of course, he thinks she would welcome his attentions and is being coy so we get...
Mmmm, Yongzheng, who knew all that ice and control hid such passion. Is it hot here, or is it just me? But of course Ruoxi is appalled. He asks her, doesn't she like him? And she tells him if he wants to use force, she can't say no (because he's a prince). He walks off. Umm yeah, that didn't work out well.
Maybe she'd be more inclined to return his affections if she knew he looks like this without the queue:
You can rule my kingdom any time!
Ahem, where were we? Yeah, Ruoxi, you created a mess. How is Liu Shi Shi so ridiculously gorgeous btw? I love that after this, Four just leaves her alone, and is really miserable next morning :( - let's face it, being royalty, he could just insist. Instead, he doesn't interact with her at all except asking her to comfort Kang Xi after little Eighteen dies.
I totally ship Thirteen with Mongolian Princess. Sorry, Lu Wu! Well, it's a polygamous society so he can marry them both? This type of world is a boon for multishippers. I inadvertently left off Thirteen from the BBJX poll but I am beginning to think, it was my subconscious at work because I adore him - he's the only one of them all who'd make a decent husband material (and who could function in the modern world, for that matter. OK, he's freakishly like JPLH's Eight, but I said that before already).
Those were from the opening and are v.v. pretty so have them:
