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Summary of the Additional Epilogue for Bu Bu Jing Xin the Novel — 74 Comments

  1. OMG! just about time when i was scouring your posts on BBJX… copying all of them on word, for reference while watching and reading… lalalala… so happy for this new post. 🙂 thanks sis koala!

  2. Haven’t finished watching, as am one of those patiently waiting for the subs to come. But I can also feel your withdrawal pain, koala!

  3. thanks for another BBJX post i’m going through withdrawals here…this is really drama crack at its highest..you’re right about these actors bringing these characters to live…it’s just so sad to see the drama end and not seeing these actors together anymore..i have to go re-watch the drama again..this crack is so good i don’t want it to end..

  4. OMG…I really want to get the book. Too bad, I’m not living in China and could not purchase it via China online bookstore….sigh…

  5. I love you… hopefully you know that. Thanks for the epilogue. I would probably never even have heard of it if it wasn’t for you.

  6. This is just so sad…I don’t know, maybe because I know how happy they used to be, everyone together, but they grew apart and became scheming and stuff…Maybe it would have been different if they had dialed back on ambition, or been a bit more honest, or just cherished each other over power and money and stuff. But they didn’t ^^’ It just hurts my heart.

    • I don’t read it like that actually. I think they did all cherish what they had, but ultimately the unknown and the inevitable was the kicker.

      For 8 and 4, I don’t see them pursuing the throne as ambitious for the sake of their ambition or to amass power or wealth. They had plenty of that. I think both of them pursued the crown for the sake of control.

      They wanted control over their lives. 8 wanted to be respected, 4 wanted to protect those around them who were hurt in this throne battle. What they wanted was perfectly legitimate and not overreaching at all, nor was it for a purpose as shallow as power or money. But ultimately the sacrifice was too great.

      • No, I get that that wasn’t all and everything. But ultimately, to me at least, the throne loses importance to the ones you love and respect, your family and stuff. They were too ambitious, and their egos were too strong. They just couldn’t give up on the throne, or on the idea they had of it, like it was really going to give them fulfillment. At the end of your life, all of that just doesn’t matter anymore. I get why they did all that, I just think it’s sad.

  7. “But one night as Chenghuan is walking the Imperial gardens with her cousin Prince Hongzhou, she sees Yongzheng sitting in Ruo Xi’s old chambers, with one flickering candle burning, reading the old calligraphy papers she left when she practiced her writing. It is then Chenghuan realizes that her uncle has never forgotten Ruo Xi.”

    I would love this part, can you tell me it’s in which part of the epilogue? I think chap2 of epilogue end up with Chenghuan going out with Honzhou, but I didn’t get to the part they see Yongzheng reading the old calligraphy! Such a loss!

    • Hi,
      I have also been searching high and low for this part. I re-read the entire epilogue and cannot find it! I vaguely remembered I did read it though…. can please tell us which part of the epilogue is this in? Thanks!

  8. After reading the epilogue, my sadness for all BBJX characters was even more profound. Like you say, it is really difficult to let the characters go as they are so vivid and real to me. Knowing that Chenghuan will be lovingly welcomed into Min Min’s family gives a measure of comfort especially as so many of characters have experienced so much hardship in their lives.

    I was tearing up again as I read the epilogue particularly at certain points in the epilogue such as:
    -Min Min performing that song (the same song that she sang in the performance that Ruoxi put on for her in front of the princes) in front of 13th’s altar with her husband accompanying on her instrument,
    -Yongzhen reminiscing about Ruoxi in her old residence and the potrait Chenghuan drew of Ruoxi
    -Yongzhen’s decision to agree to marry Chenghuan off afar secure in the knowledge that she will find happiness with Min Min’s family even when all his beloved have left his side.
    -14th walking around Beijing city and saying that he can spend the rest of his live reliving his happy times and revisiting the memories through places that he, his brothers and Ruoxi went to.

    I’m tearing up again as I”m reading your summary. I can’t let go of BBJX’s characters yet. I have not mourn enough yet…

  9. Thank you so much for this posting – I was looking for info about the epilogue online after someone mentioned it in the comments for another one of your BBJX post. btw think it should be 14th instead of 4th Prince in this sentence: “4th Prince wakes up from this dream with tears in his eyes…”

  10. Thank you so much for this! I haven’t watched a C-drama in ages and (being Chinese) regularly lament on the lackluster standards when compared to K-drama. BBJX gives me so much hope… and I would never have followed it if not for you!

    I was not intending watch it at all and thought I’d be happy just reading your entries on it. After reading your posts, I got a lil curious and ‘casually’ watched the last episode thinking that it won’t spoil it for me since I don’t intend to watch the whole series.

    I went from episode 35 to 18 to 15 to 13…. etc, etc. I haven’t been able to concentrate well at work, keep hearing the theme song in my head and replaying the scenes at the back of my mind. I’m so hooked it’s not funny!!

    Maybe this epilogue is what my frazzled mind need since it offers a better understanding of how things unfold (in more details) after RX ‘passed on’… The tidbits about 4th prince and the subtle acts which revealed how much RX ‘remained’ with him till the end is heartbreaking but fulfilling.

    So thanks x 1 000 000 Ockola for the beautiful translation!! This means a whole to me 🙂

  11. Another morsel of BBJX. Thank you!

    My love for this novel/drama has increased exponentially.
    I’m up to the episode where R is a laundress….She is still sweet but worn down and frail. I was happy that #4 finally was brave enough to face her and promise to marry her….

  12. I was about to save this until I have read the novel.. But now.. I’m off reading the epilogue first .. xD

    Thanks for another wonderful post!

  13. After reading this epilogue, I don’t know who had it worst, RX or 4th. RX wakes up from her coma remembering the past, meets modern 4th but he doesn’t recognize her or 4th after RX died, suffers loneliness and has to watch each and every of his loved ones die before him. I would like to imagine the modern RX will chase after modern 4th in the museum to resurrect their love…

    Thanks Ms. Koala, I’m so grateful for this translation and please keep all the happy scenes recap coming.

  14. it was from reading your summaries of Bu Bu Jing Xin that i fell in love with it. Thanks! Just reading this epilogue makes me wish they’ll have a english version of the novel that i can buy.

  15. Thanks so much for feeding my and everyone’s BBJX addiction!
    Reading your post brings back those tears in my eyes. It’s like I somehow see RX in Princess Chenghuan. No wonder Yongzheng adores her ’cause I guess in some ways she reminds him of RX not to mention that 13th is Chenghuan’s dad who is very dear to him, too!
    BBJX will forever remain such an epic tale of love. It will be so difficult to let it go.

  16. hi koala! i’ve been following bu bu jing xin since i’ve read your rave reviews about this drama and i have to say even i am entangled with this drama. i just love 4th & Ruo xi together but it breaks my heart to know that they are not going to be together. i’ve only watched until episode 30 but don’t know anything that’s happening ’cause there is only until episode 23 that has been fully subbed. do you know why yu’tan was cooked alive in episode 30?

  17. thanks so much ockoala for the summary of the epilogue. buckets here after reading. 🙁

    it’s so hard that the novel is not available in english paperback. it would be a good read. at least with this post i get a slice of tong hua’s work. appreciate too that the production of the drama went ahead with putting a modern day closure. at least their is this glimpse of closure albeit not totally the happy ending that i want. well in my imagination it did happen but it would be more satisfying to see it acted out.

    it is 4th dream to see rx w/ children, so sad that they lost their’s. 4th understands rx want of freedom but his reign is being shaken by doubts and has no choice. can’t get over their love. the drama leaves on. sigh!

  18. hi ockoala! thanks for this summary as i can never read nor understand chinese. any BBJX from your website is like a blessing from heaven in a Fall gloomy day. this made my day after learning the passing of Apple’s Steve Job last night.

    i wish tong hua will have an english version of this novel so english-speaking fans like me can buy and devour BBJX all over again… in words 🙂 do we have to file a petition or something? Cheers! 🙂 keep up the great work mwuah!

  19. Yeah, it was sad how Cheng huan was so loved but they couldn’t show her just how loved she was and she thought that she might’ve been a secret daughter of Yongzheng instead with Ruoxi because of all the secrecy over Lu Wu who was never an official concubine for 13 and her “official” mother 13’s main wife was always polite with her. But at least she got the happiest ending so her name still ended up being prophetic with the way Ruoxi intended it.

  20. I just finished the series…and I’m all cried out, more like weeping and wailing actually. I don’t think a drama ever got me so emotionally drained to the point of dehydration because of all the liquid flowing out of my eyes. BBJX is not a drama I normally would have picked up because of the sometimes crappy CGI, the sad ending, and a storyline that takes place over decades; but the solid acting and characters took away all my misgivings. I don’t think any character in the drama annoyed me because they all had reasoning (right or wrong) behind their actions…it was all fairly realistic reactions to ridiculous circumstances. I found it impossible to hate anyone, even when I really wanted to. In the end, it was the toxic environment of the palace that ruined everything- having to watch your back in fear of betrayal at every step is going to take a toll on even the most well adjusted person. It’s a sadistic watch, but the beautiful depiction of an epic love story that spans time and space is completely worth the pain.

    Thanks for the recap of the additional epilogue because it really fleshes out the ending, and gives us a chance to spend a little more time with the characters. But I think I really needed the ending the drama gave us because there’s a sense of coming full circle and some hope for a fresh start. I need closure, and seeing 4 at the museum at the exact time as RX suggests the promise that he made her back in the garden…that no matter where she was, he would find her. I need to believe that he’s coming back with a kleenex or she’s going to chase him down otherwise I will be in a coma of sadness for days to come.

    Please continue these recaps of BBJX!! They’re awesome and insightful, and I hope they will help me recover from this drama.

  21. ah..such a beautiful epilogue. i am still refusing to go beyond episode 20 because my heart is aching so much and i end up going back to watch the earlier times when all of them were still young (and somewhat) carefree. i don’t know how it happened but i am so immersed in this story and the world that they lived in…even the opening music is playing in my head at random times during the day. *sigh*

    koala, i really appreciate you introducing us to this wonderful, wonderful drama and for all the BBJX updates and goodies. do you think its possible that they might translate this novel in english? a girl can hope, right?

  22. thank you for your well written epilogue… i definitely wouldn’t understand this much if there were no recap and summary from you..
    keep writing about BBJX.. waiting for your next post XD
    thx again 😉

  23. “Director Lee revealed that the third ending shot involved Nicky being the driver that hit Zhang Xiao, and they end up meeting again after she wakes up.”
    Yes, I guess the driver who hit Zhang Xiao is the avatar of 4th Prince too. Because, Ruo Xi’s life almost lift up (is the word correct? I don’t know how to describe it. The blue light of Ruo Xi’s life,btw) is when 4th prince horse almost hit her. You know, like a prince was riding a horse, but now a prince is riding a ferrari?

    And I think the epilogue of the novel is the prologue of the epilogue of the drama (confuse? me too). Because of the great love of 4th and Ruo Xi, they given the second chance. The present day. After all, why did Zhang Xiao back to past and only to die? I guess (this is my only wild guess) if Zhang Xiao didn’t go to the past, the real Ruo Xi must do the same. Her personality is likely the same with Zhang Xiao.

    So why must Zhang Xiao come back? To remember her great love to 4th prince. And make the present 4th prince remember. And my second wild guess is that is the story which the movie talked about.

    Oh God, this is my longest comment. Ever! And I just watch only episode 1. I can’t find bbjx english subs anywhere. Thank you Ms. Koala for every bbjx post you wrote. I’m always waiting for them. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU..

    I love you so much.. muah..

  24. This ending is no more satisfying then how the drama ended… I wish they would show you what happens after Rouxi dies and goes back to the modern world.

  25. ockoala, can you explain to me why did bu bu jing xin dub their actors/actress voice? I usually like watching drama with the actors/actresses real voice, but I never understood why main land drama dubs their voice?

    • I posted this explanation at Be Electric Ground, so I’ll just paste my answer here again:

      Dubbing has actually been completely accepted and widespread in Chinese dramas. Almost ALL the dramas I’ve watched growing up from Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong were all dubbed. Let me explain why Chinese dramas from those three countries feel the need to dub their own language.

      For Taiwan, the majority of the island are Taiwanese, yet the official language is Mandarin Chinese due to the KMT government. Hence you have lots of actors who speak Taiwanese as their first language and Mandarin Chinese as their second language (not to mention the older actors spoke Japanese as their second language and Mandarin as their third). So lots of actors back then just didn’t speak Mandarin Chinese with the “proper” standard accent, i.e. flat and accentless inflections that the TV stations were required to show. So the actors spoke their lines in Mandarin, but was dubbed over by someone who had a perfect accent.

      Dubbers were in high demand and not enough around, so drama after drama had the same “voices” for the main leads. It was pretty funny. This didn’t change until the mid-80s when the DPP got more powerful and President Jiang Jing Guo died and President Lee took over.

      The same logic applies for Mainland Chinese dramas dubbing, since actors come from around the country and some speak completely different dialects, which are as different as foreign languages.

      Hong Kong dramas were dubbed when exported to Taiwan and the Mainland, since Cantonese was such a regional dialect and no one wanted to read subtitles.

      I was a teenager before I ever heard Tony Leung, Andy Lau, etc. and their real voices.

      So dubbing over the voices of K-actors in TW and C-dramas isn’t a big deal since even the native Chinese and Taiwanese actors get dubbed all the time. For example, George Hu, Park Shin Hye’s co-star in Hayate the Combat Butler, grew up in New York and his Chinese is pretty bad. He had to learn Chinese when he went back to Taiwan to start his entertainment career, so his earlier dramas, he was dubbed. Wu Zun was dubbed in Tokyo Juliet.

      I’m fine with the dubbing if it’s seamless. But I will always miss hearing the wonderful Korean actor voices I’ve come to know and love. The dubbing doesn’t ruin the actors ability to emote since most dubber are great voice actors. But still, it’s weird if you already know the real voice and it doesn’t match the actor onscreen.

      Back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the actors voices don’t really become well-known, unless they are also a singer.

      A good example would be Leslie Cheung, who has the most beautiful voice in the entire planet, but was dubbed in all his projects exported out of Hong Kong. But everyone knew his real voice because he was such a popular singer as well.

      I think dubbing can be seamless, i.e. it’s synched very well, it’s just that we’re not used to it. For the older generation, they much prefer it and see nothing odd about it. My mom watches her K-dramas dubbed (which drives me INSANE), and still watches TVB dramas dubbed when I’ve transitioned to watching in Cantonese and relying on subs for the parts I don’t catch because they are speaking too fast with too much slang.

      On the set of Rouge Hegemon with Jo Hyun Jae, he did a scene where he spoke his lines in Korean, the guy playing his dad spoke in Mandarin Chinese, and the woman playing his mom spoke in Cantonese, and neither of the three understood each other. It’s pretty funny actually.

      This language barrier is between so many Chinese actors from different regions, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, that speak dialects that can be as foreign as Korean is to Mandarin Chinese. So the Chinese actors are used to it, and don’t treat any Korean actor on set as an outsider.

      I don’t like dubbed, but it can’t be helped for the time being.

      As for BBJX, let me just say that Kevin Cheng (8th Prince) spoke ALL his lines in Cantonese. Even though he speaks fluent Mandarin, Cantonese is his native dialect and he felt more comfortable saying the lines in Cantonese so his acting would be better, i.e. he doesn’t have to translate the lines to Mandarin as he’s speaking it. So he had to be dubbed no matter what. But all the actors were dubbedin BBJX because it’s just easier that way to get a uniform accent across all characters.

  26. thank you for your explaination. ^_^ I used to watch hk drama dubbed in vietnamese growing up, but i switched over to watching cantoness with eng sub. hehe this is my first time actually watching a mainland drama in english sub. I was never into period dramas, but bu bu jing xin hooked me into watching a period drama with dubbing. ^_^

  27. Having just finished the drama, I am like many of the others here – left in complete grief for the characters. Though the drama ending left a bittersweet note, I have been searching high and low for more BBJX. Thank you for all your hard work, it really is dedicated people like yourself that allow those of us who can’t read chinese to still experience this amazing story.

  28. Sorry for spamming your posts today. I also wrongly posted the following comment to the final scenes post. I had so many of your posts opened that I confused myself.

    I enjoyed reading about the epilogue in the book. I am going to start the fan translation and maybe one day there will be an English version. Oh well, I’ll just rewatch the DVD so i can make myself cry again. Haha.

    I do like that Min Min’s life was tied with that of 13th in the end and that 4th (Emperor) freed his niece to a life up north. As always, I love any mentions of 4/RX so *cries*.

    I’m glad to know the alternate endings.

    1. The novel ending – The drama was set up so that we got a glimpse of ZX so I liked they included her going back or rather she remembered what happened. This gave a sense of closure for her at least and even though c-dramas can have sad endings, it would have been too depressing if she just died. I don’t think viewers would have been happy with that.
    2. The ending in the movie – I posted above that I think this ending was really bittersweet and not as open. More emphasis on the bitter and then moving on. I’d like to think they found each other in this life, but probably the next life. ZX bears a burden as she remembers the past and that is baggage.
    3. The alternate car crash meeting new!4th ending – Very Sliding Doors and fated. I’d have like this, but I can see how the production were iffy on it. For some this would have been a bit sugary really met after the accident (and not coincidentally like in #2). This would have been more open to romance than #2 IMHO and the modern sequel we will never see.

    So, I think 2 is a good ending though i’m still distraught for RX/4. I think this is the last BBJX post I’ll comment on today. As always, THANK YOU!

  29. i am still stuck on 8 prince , ep 33 when roxy left the forbiden city, 8 prince was waiting outside, and when he looked at her he seem to still love her than when she turned around and ran back to him and huged him i got more confused did she still love him too
    and , after she died he stormed into the emperors place demanding , roxy came from my house , why can i not see her, than he told 4th that they both failed her so did that mean he still loved her did 8 regret that he choose the throne over roxy
    , why did 4 put 8 to death,
    before the translation when 13 gave him that poisen , when he looked out the window i knew he was thinking about roxy, but than the translation came , and he told 13 thanks for everthing, and ask him to put him with his first wife, he did thank roxy,
    so was 8 still in love with her .
    if you anyone has some answers for me i really would appreaciate it, it would really put my mind at ease. e=mail me anyone with the answers to my questions

  30. Thank you. But I would also like to know if the bubujingxinenglish blog will be updated? I would really like to know. Thank you. 🙂

  31. Koala, thank you…thank you for the epilogue translation….I was randomly looking at Bu Bu Jing Xin news, hoping there would be a sequel coming out..but I stumble upon your blog…Im really grateful for the translation..

    Sigh..I cant read mandarin and I hope the novel will be translate to english….eventhough it would never be the same as reading it in mandarin…

    Bu Bu Jing Xin is a great series. I still cant..how to say it..”let go” of the series after two weeks finished watching the ending.

  32. Thanks for the epilogue translation. Reading it made me tear again. I sincerely wish there will be a sequel to allow RX and 4th prince the chance to continue their love in modern time. It is also important that the sequel must be acted by Liu Shi Shi and Nicky Wu otherwise it would spoil the story.

  33. Could you tell me where to find that third ending shot where 4th-look-alike is the driver? Was it in the credits of the Final Episode? I don’t remember seeing it

  34. I actually like the drama ending more than the novel ending, because it made the story more realistic and complete, with all the events happening inside her head while in coma, instead of her soul actually travelling to the Qing Dynasty.

    However, I’m not as receptive to the idea of the sequel. I know the drama ending was to leave the writers room for the sequel, but I’m not sure that there could be a legitimate, entertaining story.

  35. From my understanding (I didn’t read the novel personally) of summaries, the novel differs from the drama insofar as the former does not have Ruoxi returning to the present. Instead, she simply dies and stays in the Qing Dynasty. I definitely prefer the drama’s ending version but not for romantic reasons. Simply, the drama version actually makes more logical sense.

    The entire story is contingent upon time-travel and reincarnation (less emphasis on the latter but it remains a crucial point). First, I will concede that time is fluid, flowing in both directions. Supposing that Buddhism holds true, then when a soul dies, it is reincarnated and must being life all over again. Zhang Xiao returns to Qing China as a teenager. She is not reborn into the body of a child. This indicates that she still exists in her “current” (modern day) state.

  36. I just finished episode 25, where the emperor dies and 4th prince becomes the new one. I did not understand why Ruoxi is sent to prison for 7 days. Can someone explain?? Please!!!!

    • It is not a prison. It was to prevent rumours from spreading and hence ALL who were present at the deathbed were confined. Similarly they sealed off the city to prevent strife (in case there is a plot to snatch the throne).

  37. I just finished episode 25, where the emperor dies and 4th prince becomes the new one. I did not understand why Ruoxi is sent to prison for 7 days. Can someone explain?? Please!!!!
    Also, will the novel be published in English?? Do you know??
    Thanks!

  38. I was trying to avoid this drama because it’s very long but I did watch them anyway. 2 day-marathon watching of BBJX was not good for my eyes, both from crying and watching. I am traumatized by the “steaming of Yu tan.” How can I eat steamed bun anymore??? This drama is so graphic about the cruelty of punishment during that era.

    My consolation is that 10th Prince had his happy ending. Although how sad, 9th Prince, the ultimate bad boy who sacrificed Yu tan, did show his remorse and pain from Yutan’s death. He did love her on his own way.

    The modern version of BBJX better let 4th Prince and Ruo xi have their happy ending. Or they may have wait until year 2300.

    Ewww, really, no more steamed bun for me anymore.

  39. huhuhu I feel i’m gonna cry! I loved Ruo Xi and Yongzheng’s love story. :3 I wonder if there will be a sequel to it. 🙂

  40. I couldn’t help but shed a few tears when I stumble on the part of 14th prince revisiting old places. It’s hard being humans. We’re always growing old and there’s nothing we can do. People come and go, but places remain the same, and also the memories. Another part I shed tears was princess chenghuan found her beloved uncle at ruoxis old chamber. *cries* thank you tonghua for giving us comfort, ease of heart that princess chenghuan is in good care. Not familiar but … so 14th prince lived the remainder of his days as 13ths prince wish?

  41. wow this just made me cry even more. I’ve read the original novel online, where did you buy the book (with the new epilogue) from??

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  43. I have no idea why I keep reading these summaries. My heart can’t take anymore.

    I love your blog and am thankful for your summaries/translations. Please never take this site down!

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