Royal Feast

Three new candidates for the Imperial Food Services are almost sent away when a feast for the Emperor to celebrate his war victory unexpectedly requires all hands on deck for his sudden return. Yao Zi Jin, Su Yue Hua, and Yin Zi Ping show their worthiness when they save the Imperial Food Services from the wrath of the Emperor and his army, waiting to be fed. The Imperial Grandson, Zhu Zhan Ji, slowly makes his way back to the palace while many eagerly await his return.

The Crown Prince, admonished by the Emperor during the feast, escapes from punishment with help from Zhu Zhan Ji. Zhu Zhan Ji crosses paths with Yao Zi Jin, who, despite winning the top prize of the Food Services competition, is punished by Directoress Wang Yao Qing. Yao Zi Jin and Yin Zi Ping begin helping each other out while Su Yue Ha seeks out her mother.

Bothered by the Crown Prince’s inability to ride horses due to his weight, the Emperor issues a decree to only serve vegetarian dishes to him so that he’ll lose weight in 3 months time. The Food Services team must come up with ways to entice the Crown Prince to eat, and using any meat products will cost them their heads. Zi Jin seems very familiar with palace rules and stirs the curiosity of Imperial grandson Zhan Ji and Vice Commander You Yi Fan.

Zhan Ji receives a replacement cricket from Zi Jin after she inadvertently killed his. Zhi Jin continues to serve Zhan Ji’s daily meal, but he suddenly is diagnosed with poisoning. Zhan Ji’s relationship with Hu Shan Xiang remains strained. Vice Commander You Yi Fan is on the hunt for a maidservant who has entered the palace with a false identity and has found witnesses to help identify the person.

The vice commander comes close to finding out the true imposter but ends up clearing Zi Jin’s identity instead. Zi Ping confides in Zi Jin, while Su Yue Ha, overhearing their conversation, tells Matron Meng the truth. Zhan Ji discovers the source of the poison but doesn’t confront the person. Prince Han reaches out to Matron Meng for a favor, while Crown Prince Gao Chi struggles to earn his father’s respect.

Though Zhan Ji is curious and has opportunities to see who is in charge of his food, he chooses to let her be since she doesn’t want to make her identity known to him. The Crown Princess hosts a flower banquet to decide who will be the Food Manager. Though Zi Ping clearly wins, the position goes to Su Yue Hua and Zi Jin is promoted to Table Maid. A fire breaks out at Qianqing Palace, and the Emperor goes on a rampage, trying to find out who is responsible.

Zi Jin and Zi Ping help provide food to Consort Zhuang, who is innocent but is guilty by association with Consort Yu. Though Zhan Ji finally arranges to meet Zi Jin, the opportunity falls through when his father is accused by Consort Yu of trying to kill the Emperor. Zi Jin is caught by Yi Fan and forced to tell the truth to the Emperor, which leads to the discovery of the real mastermind.

Zi Jin becomes seriously ill and is not able to cook food for Zhan Ji for 7 days. When she finally returns to her duties, he surprises her. Director Hu wants to take Zi Jin under her wing because she is able to get along well with everyone. Zi Ping convinces Matron Meng to allow her back into the kitchen. The Food Services team is to prepare daily meals for visiting envoys, but their daily allotments are steadily decreasing due to other offices embezzling food supplies and money.

Zhan Ji and Zi Jin spend more time together. Zhan Ji asks Zi Jin for some advice regarding Consort Hu, but it causes a misunderstanding when Director Hu makes plans of her own for Consort Hu. Zhan Ji takes his anger out on Zi Jin who realizes she must treat Zhan Ji as her master similarly to how she feels that he treats her as his maidservant. This frustrates Zhan Ji who slowly realizes how much effort Zi Jin put in to make him happy.

Zhan Ji entreats Zi Jin to stop being mad at him and even proposes to her, but she refuses and asks him if he even knows what is in her heart. The Imperial Food Services and the Directorate of Palace Delicacies are competing at the New Year's Eve banquet to determine who will prepare the imperial meals for next year. Su Yue Hua gets the Directorate of Palace Delicacies menu from Yi Fan.

The Directorate of Palace Delicacies is making headway in the competition, and the last dish they serve is difficult to overcome. Zi Jin must think of a final dish to rival the Directorate of Palace Delicacies’ dish. The banquet is filled with surprises for the attendees. Prince Han’s wife suffers from a sudden asthma attack due to an ingredient in the one of the dishes. Zhan Ji heads off an insurgency to save the Emperor and warn his uncles.

Matron Meng has resorted to selling vegetables to Imperial Food Services. Zi Jin begins opening up to Zhan Ji and Hu Shan Xiang chances upon them while playing music together. Yi Fan has taken an interest in Zi Jin, but his hopes are dashed when he sees Zhan Ji also has feelings for her. Yue Hua struggles with playing a part in Prince Han’s wife’s death, while Zi Ping struggles with constant bullying.

Zhan Ji returns from his journey just as the Emperor is heading out for his northern expedition against border enemies. As the Emperor passes on, Gao Chi becomes the new emperor. Due to ancestral law, all childless concubines must be buried along with the Emperor. Consort Zhuang pleads with Zi Jin to help her leave the palace so she can bid her final farewell to her mother.

Zhan Ji becomes the Crown Prince as his father becomes the Emperor. Their relationship becomes strained when Zhan Ji offers his father advice. Zi Jin’s true identity is exposed because she lent her pendant to Consort Zhuang to exit the capital. Her relationship with Zhan Ji and Shan Xiang has changed as a result. Matron Meng is back to supervising the Imperial Food Services, while Yi Fan gains the trust of the new Emperor.

Matron Meng now has the support of Consort Gao and the Emperor. Matron Hu, knowing there is a plot to get rid of the Empress, embroils Zi Jin in the mix by having her cook pregnancy meals for the Empress, knowing that she is sick and not pregnant. A helpless Zi Jin looks to Zhan Ji for help, whose relationship with the Emperor is hanging by a thread.

The Emperor is clueless about being manipulated by Consort Guo into believing the Empress is pregnant instead of sick. Zhan Ji goes against the will of his father to save his mother from dying, which results in losing his father’s trust. The two factions within the Imperial Food Services are outright fighting one another, while the Emperor is losing control of the country. Shan Xiang tries her best to rekindle her relationship with Zhan Ji.

Despite his longing for Zi Jin, Zhan Ji decides to move back to the palace with Shan Xiang after Zi Jin makes it clear she wants to be a cook rather than be with him. Matrons Meng and Hu compete against each other, where the first round theme is Ancient. Yue Hua steals Zi Jin’s painting and inspiration for the competition, so Zi Jin must come up with a different plan.

Yue Hua accuses Zi Jin of setting a trap for her when, in fact, it was Yue Hua who stole her painting. The competition between the two factions heats up as tempers flare and schemes go out of control. Zi Jin is targeted by assassins, the Prince of Wei becomes severely ill after eating dishes from the Food Services competition, and Zi Ping and Manager Fang are imprisoned.

To gain audience with the Empress, Zi Jin endures multiple flogging, refusing help from both Yi Fan and Zhan Ji, which further angers them. Zhan Ji makes a bold effort to get the Prince of Wei the medical help he needs and succeeds. Matron Meng once again becomes the head of Imperial Food Services, while Matron Hu falls out of favour with the Empress. Zi Jin is promoted to manager, while Zi Ping is promoted to table maid.

Zi Jin gains favor with Consort Guo by enabling her to see her son, who is now under the care of Zhan Ji. Yue Hua partners with Yi Fan to gain the Emperor’s favor and become the Directress overseeing his meals. However, to curry favor with him, she cooks him unhealthy meals, which makes him ill. Zi Jin warns Yue Han of the dangers of wanting to move up too quickly, but Yue Han pays no attention.

Zi Jin cleans the stain from Zhan Ji’s painting, showing she still cares for him, which angers Zhan Ji. The Empress approaches Zi Jin to see if she wants to be Zhan Ji’s concubine, which she refuses, choosing her freedom instead. Zi Ping sees a familiar man from the past and asks Zi Jin to give him food, thereby upsetting Zhan Ji. Someone targets Zi Jin, and she ends up severely injured.

Zi Jin’s brother makes a surprise visit to the palace to plead Zi Jin in becoming Zhan Ji’s concubine for the sake of the family. The competition between the two factions in the Imperial Food Services heats up at the Autumn Festival banquet. Matron Hu has tricks up her sleeve, while Zi Jin does her best with her injured hand, not caring if her constant use of it disables it in the future.

For the final competition dish, the two factions must cook in front of the Emperor. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse when an assassination attempt on the Emperor interrupts the final meal preparation. Yi Fan risks his life to save the Emperor, and though Zhan Ji is injured, his father scorns him for not doing enough to protect him. As Matron Hu prepares to leave the palace, she mysteriously dies.

Zhan Ji is clearly jealous of how well Zi Jin and Mei Shao Yuan get along but misunderstands Zi Jin’s heart, which she clarifies for him. The Emperor, angry at Zhan Ji, punishes him by sending him to Nanjing, Zi Jin gives him some advice to help rectify his relationship with his father. Yi Fan remembers how a selfless young lady once helped him when he was alone, pretending to Yue Hua that he never met the young lady again.

Zi Jin impresses the Emperor, Empress, and Zhan Ji in one fell swoop and becomes Directress of the Food Services. She also helps the exiled women and Zhan Ji’s strained relationship with the Emperor. Zi Ping also makes great strides with the Emperor, angering Yue Hua, who constantly looks down on her. The Emperor’s health hits a snag when both Yue Hua and Zi Ping battle for his taste buds.

So impressed with Zi Jin’s handling of the medicinal food for the Emperor, the Empress declares she is Zhan Ji’s imperial concubine despite promising Zhan Ji she would stop interfering. Seeing the Emperor’s deteriorating health condition, Matron Meng advises Consort Guo to start planning for the worst. Zhan Ji avoids Zi Jin after the wedding, while his concubines outright ignore her.

Zhan Ji heads to Nanjing due to the multiple earthquakes that transpired there. In his absence, the imperial harem throws a birthday party for the Empress. Consort Wu “accidentally” damages the painting that the Zi Jin and the other concubines have painted for the Empress. In an attempt to win the Empress’ favor, Consort Gao apologizes for past wrongdoings and gives her a celebratory wine toast.

While Zhan Ji is away in Nanjing, he allows Zi Jin to make full use of his study; fearing she will be accused of killing the Emperor, Consort Guo seeks refuge in the study with Zi Jin. The Empress tries to hide the Emperor has died until Zhan Ji returns, but Prince Han gets wind of something bad happening to the Emperor, so he rushes to the palace. Assassins target Zhan Ji on his way back to the capital.

Zi Jin pleads for Consort Gao, and with the evidence provided, Zhan Ji spares her. However, she is forced to commit suicide anyway by the Empress. Zhan Ji wants to make Zi Jin his Noble Consort, but the Empress wants him to wait before making this decision. Matron Meng is promoted to take care of all Palace affairs. The late Emperor’s brothers are thinking of rebelling, and Yi Fan’s father asks for his advice.

Zhan Ji treats Zi Jin indifferently, knowing that he doesn’t punish her somehow, his mother will punish her more severely. Zi Jin also treats him indifferently, which upsets him. He tries to focus on his other concubines, but they all remind him of her because she had taken great pains to teach them all different skills and scents. Concubine Mu tries to steal Zi Jin’s osmanthus wine, but it backfires as Zi Jin is prepared.

Zhan Ji and Zi Jin finally have a heart-to-heart talk and agree that within the study, they can be themselves and outside the study, they play their roles. Zi Jin is promoted to Imperial Noble Consort. Shan Xiang begins acting strangely, and someone accuses Zi Jin of using medicinal food for Shan Xiang’s mental instability. Despite her predicament, she does not ask Zhan Ji for help, which angers him.

Zhan Ji and Zi Ping come up with a plan to get Shan Xiang to tell the truth about her fake illness; however, both she and Zi Jin are upset about being deceived. Zi Jin is grounded by Zhan Ji to reflect on her mistake and can only come out once she declares her mistake. After 3 months of being grounded, Zhan Ji can’t take it anymore and confronts Zi Jin, but she will not speak to him.

Zhan Ji comes to learn of Zi Jin’s imprisonment before she enters the palace by command of his mother. Zi Jin has Zi Ping communicate her inability to speak to Zhan Ji by way of the food she serves him. Zhan Ji apologizes to Zi Jin, and Zi Jin realizes the Empress Dowager’s heart has always been for the people, so she no longer fears her. She slowly regains her voice with the help of the imperial physician. Matron Meng makes a great sacrifice to help Yue Hua.

Zi Jin has taken over managing the palace accounts and discovers that the eunuchs are taking advantage and profiting off the palace purchases. Empress Shan Xiang has stopped eating and is growing thinner and weaker despite Yue Hua’s efforts to modify her meals. During the journey to the mausoleum, Zi Jin shows Zhan Ji the plight of the people suffering from droughts, plagues, and locusts.

With Zi Jin’s guidance, Zi Ping is able to make dishes that appeal to Empress Shan Xiang. The Empress believes that Zi Jin is taking pity on her, but Zi Jin convinces her otherwise and that she must learn to live well despite her circumstances. Zhan Ji takes a trip to the countryside to see how the people work to survive. He later discovers a scheme by the Directorate of Eunuchs that hurts the people, so he questions Yuan Qi.

Zhan Ji falls ill, and Zi Jin takes care of him. Zi Jin proposes that a consort or concubine oversee the different services of the palace so that they will have something to do instead of causing trouble. Consort Wu and Yue Hua join forces to get rid of Zi Jin, who falls ill after her food is tampered with. Rumors about how evil Zi Jin are circulated throughout the capital, as instigated by Prince Han, who yearns to make his move soon.

Zhan Ji wants to depose the Empress, which the Empress Dowager agrees to and angers the court ministers. Zi Jin does not agree and goes to great lengths to show she is not interested in becoming the Empress. An earthquake shatters the capital and adds fuel to the fire when the ministers say this is an ominous warning not to depose the Empress. Prince Han and his spies in the palace decide to make their move.

Consort Wu is caught trying to get rid of both the Empress and Zi Jin. Yue Hua is also caught for her participation in the crimes. Zhan Ji leads an army heading south to battle against Prince Han. As he tries to figure out the best strategy, his main concern is the capital, which would be most vulnerable to an attack. The Imperial harem, along with the Prince of Xiang, do their best to help the hungry and dispossessed people.

Matron Meng’s sharp thinking and preparation for the future help save the people in the capital from starving. Despite the many years of serving Zhan Ji, Yuan Qi decides to side with Prince Han. Things take a dire turn for the worse when Zhan Ji is poisoned, and Prince Zhao decides to storm the palace and hold the Empress Dowager hostage. The Empress becomes severely ill after treating patients in the medical wards.

Zhan Ji arrives at the capital just in time to reveal the true mastermind. All those involved in the coup are punished. Yuan Qi and his accomplices are also punished accordingly. Empress Shan Xiang abdicates her position. While Zi Ping is promoted to Matron of the Food Services, she opts to travel the world to hone her cooking skills. Though Zi Jin misses her dearly, she does not regret staying by Zhan Ji’s side.