Original subtitles

[Royal Feast]

[Episode 1]

[20th year of Yongle]

[Zhu Gaochi, Crown Prince] Although talented people are difficult to find,

a good cook is even more difficult to find.

[Meng Ziyun, Matron of the Imperial Food Service] Matron Meng,

did the selection of the Table Maid in the Foods Office

go smoothly?

Your Highness,

at this moment,

we're reviewing the candidates.

[Foods Office]

[Yao Zijin]

[Yin Ziping]

[Su Yuehua]

Your Highness, please show mercy!

I was careless just now.

It's fine.

Take this away.

Your Highness is magnanimous indeed.

Your Highness, if you keep tolerating their mistakes,

the servants will only grow more brazen.

They are daring enough to treat the meal preparation of the Eastern Palace lightly.

Who knows what kind of trouble they will cause in the future?

[Zhang] [Crown Princess]

Why are you

here again?

Empress Xiaocigao once said this when she was alive.

"To serve one's husband, one must chew the food personally before serving it to him".

This has been a norm since ancient times.

Under the grace of Empress Xiaocigao,

I handle Your Highness's meal personally.

One must pay extra attention when it comes to preparing the Crown Prince's meal.

Your Highness, you look after the nation on His Majesty's behalf.

Your Highness is exhausted from handling state affairs from day until night.

There is no reason for me not to be here.

Matron Meng,

you have always been a rigorous person.

How could you commit such mistakes?

[Jiang Wanying, Directress of the Foods Office] Your Highness, the Matron will retire soon.

Matron Meng will leave the palace and return to her hometown soon.

It is common for her

to commit such a blunder.

Your Highness, please show her some mercy

on account of her rigorous demeanor

for many years.

This is a minor matter.

Do not worry.

How dare you plead for her sake

when she has committed such a serious mistake?

Your Highness,

Matron Meng guided me when I first entered the palace.

That's how I was able to learn how to cook.

Now, it is fair for me

to repay her favor.

Your Highness, please show mercy.

So

that means you're indebted to her.

You do know how to be grateful.

It's no wonder many people had told me

to let you assume her position as the Matron.

Your Highness, I do not deserve such praises.

I do not dare to assume such an important position.

So since your benefactor has committed a mistake,

I guess it is fair for you to accept the punishment on her behalf.

Someone.

Take her away and beat her 50 strokes.

Expel her from the palace.

Yes, Your Highness.

Your Highness!

Even though the Matron is to leave her post in three months,

it seems like you can't wait to frame your superior.

Who else shall I punish if not you?

Take her away!

Your Highness, I was framed!

Your Highness, I do not dare to do so!

Your Highness!

Your Highness, please show mercy!

Your Highness!

I have chosen the wrong person for the job.

Your Highness, please punish me as well.

You'll be dealt with later.

Yes, Your Highness.

His Majesty is on an expedition.

The Great Imperial Grandson has not returned from his southern patrol yet.

There's no need to make the feast of this year's Chongyang Festival

a grand one.

Your Highness!

Speak.

Your Highness!

His Majesty went on an expedition to defeat Arughtai

and has returned victorious!

His Majesty has already passed through Changping!

Send someone to investigate

the whereabouts of the Great Imperial Grandson immediately.

Yes, Your Highness!

[Zhu Zhanji] [Great Imperial Grandson]

[Chen Wu] [Attendant of the Great Imperial Grandson]

(His Majesty is returning to the palace.)

(Prince of Han has entered the capital in secret.)

Stop!

Your Highness.

[Yuan Qi] [Attendant of the Great Imperial Grandson]

Why are you shouting?

Stop shouting.

His Highness is resting! Why did you shout?

I have something important to report to him.

If I must say,

you're really dumb.

Now, our priority is to hurry on with our journey.

Go away!

What's the matter?

Your Highness, His Majesty is on his journey back to the palace.

But Prince of Han is already in the capital, waiting for His Majesty's return.

I'm afraid he's up to no good.

Your Highness?

Pick up the pace. We need to hurry back to the capital.

Your Highness, are you okay?

Everyone, push the carriage together!

Yes, sir!

What's wrong again?

Push it!

Hurry up!

Put some backbone into it!

Harder!

Come on! Push harder!

Hurry up!

You guys are idiots! Hurry up!

Such idiots!

Your Highness, are you awake?

Your Highness, it's not that I'm trying to criticize you here.

But why aren't you nervous at all?

Why should I be nervous?

Please pardon me for this.

Once His Majesty returns to the palace,

I'm afraid the Crown Prince will be blamed at every turn.

His Highness won't be able to sleep in peace.

Father is used to it.

It's fine that His Highness is used to that type of lifestyle.

But this time, Prince of Han is there as well.

I don't know how much trouble he will create.

Father will get used to that too.

Your Highness!

His Highness is hoping that you can return

and resolve the situation for him.

Are you nervous about it?

Of course!

I'm nervous for my master from the bottom of my heart.

Listen to this if you don't believe me.

My heart

is going to jump out soon.

It's beating rapidly.

I do have an idea.

Your Highness, please tell me.

Turn around.

Instead of panicking in the carriage,

it's more practical for you to go down and push the carriage together.

Your Highness!

Your Highness, you mustn't do so!

Move aside!

Your Highness, please return to the carriage!

According to the almanac, we should avoid

traveling today.

Indeed.

We were met with plenty of difficulties

on our way home.

But I'm a lucky boy

since young.

Back then, Master Yao said

that my life is blessed with three wonders.

The lucky star had given me its blessings.

Even though I might face difficulties,

I'll be able to overcome them.

-That's a given. -No problem.

Now, I will borrow some luck from the heavens.

If I think I can overcome this,

I will surely overcome this.

Come on, everyone, let's try again.

Come on! Hurry!

Come on, let's push this together!

Come on!

Your Highness, I got it.

One, two, three, go!

Go!

Push harder!

Go!

[Fine Meal, Divine Work]

[Zhao Lancui] [Manager of Foods in the Foods Office]

[Bai Jinsheng] [Manager of Foods in the Foods Office]

[Wen Yantao] [Manager of Foods in the Foods Office]

[Fang Hanying] [Manager of Foods in the Foods Office]

[Hu Shanwei] [Directress of the Foods Office]

[Wang Yaoqing] [Directress of the Foods Office]

Su Yuehua.

Yin Ziping.

Yao Zijin.

Three of you, come out.

Directresses,

these three have their own specialties.

It is hard for us to judge their capabilities.

Please decide for us

and choose one of them as the first place winner.

These dishes may look simple, but they do put one's cooking skills to the test.

But this is my first time

witnessing such a situation.

Do the three of you

know the Art of Food?

People of the world treat poems, essays, verses, and paintings as art.

That's right.

A great painting and a great verse can be passed down through the ages.

But to me,

food is the first necessity of the people.

Food is a top priority.

An exceptional cook

can transform mediocrity into magic.

I'm entering the palace

in order to learn about the true Art of Food.

I want to prepare a feast that has never been seen before

and become the number one cook in the world.

She's so arrogant.

Mind your words.

I lived in the marketplace since young.

I know that a bowl of porridge

can save a person's life during famines.

Our current emperor is frugal

and compassionate.

Meal-making is the art

of transforming the cheapest ingredients

into delicacies that can fill our tummies.

Those so-called famous feasts

are just a waste of food

for one to maintain one's undeserved reputation.

What about you?

If I don't enter the palace,

my father will force me to get married.

That is why I must enter the palace.

Drive all three of them

out of the palace.

Directress Wang,

three of them are exceptional among all the candidates.

Why have they failed the test?

Yin Ziping,

are you an expert in famous feasts

all around the world?

Since you're not an expert,

how dare you insult them with your rude remark?

And you, Su Yuehua,

you're vain and arrogant at such a young age.

Do you even understand the Art of Food?

How dare you boast about being the number one cook in the world?

As for you, Yao Zijin,

you're utterly insincere about the reason you want to join the palace.

The palace is a strict place. How dare you utter such nonsense!

Drive all of them out!

Directress Wang!

I beg you!

Please give me another chance!

Directress Wang, I will surely turn over a new leaf!

Directress Wang, please forgive me!

Directress Wang, I will surely turn over a new leaf!

Directress Wang, I beg you!

Get up.

Directress Wang, I beg you! Please forgive me!

Directress Wang, I beg you!

Directress Wang, all of them are talented.

Are you sure you can't pardon them?

Drive them out!

Don't touch me.

I can leave by myself.

Let go of me!

I won't go! I must stay!

Directress Wang!

Matron Meng, you're back.

Directress Wang, I beg you!

Greetings, Matron Meng.

His Majesty has returned to the palace.

I have just received an imperial decree.

Tonight, the palace will hold a feast inside and outside of the palace

to reward the officials and the army.

The Court of Imperial Entertainments and the Directorate for Palace Delicacies need manpower.

They have ordered the Imperial Food Service to assist them in preparing for the feast.

The candidates who are here today

are to stay in order to help.

Matron Meng.

Everyone, you may start preparing for the feast.

Yes.

The Six Services and One Surveillance,

which are the General Palace Service, the Imperial Ceremonial Service

the Imperial Wardrobe Service, the Imperial Food Service, the Imperial Housekeeping Service,

the Palace Workshop Service, and the Palace Surveillance.

The matrons of the services are all fifth-rank officials.

Matron Meng is in charge of the Imperial Food Service.

Under her are the directresses of the Foods Office, the Wines Office,

the Palace Medicines Office, and the Palace Banquets Office.

This is the Foods Office.

Hu, Wang, Jiang, and Xu are the four directresses of the office.

But Directress Xu already retired last month.

There are two food managers and table maids respectively.

And there are countless numbers of female servants.

It all depends on your capability

whether or not you can stay here.

Yes, Manager Fang.

Manager Fang,

I thought the palace is holding a feast to celebrate Chongyang Festival?

Your chore is over there.

Su Yuehua,

you possess good cooking skills.

Directress Hu has arranged another chore for you.

Follow me.

Yes.

Let me take a look.

How could you still smile over that?

Do you want me to cry instead?

Even if you cry, you still need to wash the dishes.

It'll be even more painful

when you get the tears on your wound.

Your Highness, the sun will set soon.

Even if we were to hurry on without any rest,

we could only reach the capital by tomorrow midnight earliest.

Your Highness, why don't we take the horse?

To keep my father company

is my duty as his son.

But now, my path is obstructed.

Even though my return has been delayed,

I'm helpless about it.

Seems like

Father has to swallow some grievances again.

Your Highness, do I need to prepare your horse for you?

The scenery out there is amazing.

It's rare for us to be on a journey like this.

Since we're already late,

why don't we enjoy the scenery before we head back?

What do you say?

Let's go.

Your Highness!

Your Highness!

The imperial decree is here!

According to His Majesty's decree,

the vastness of Heaven and Earth

encompasses all things.

Under an emperor's reign,

all beings are equal.

I embrace the order of the heavens

to differentiate ourselves from the barbarians.

[Zhu Di, Yongle Emperor] I work tirelessly day and night

to govern the nation so that all beings in the world

can have what they wish to have.

But the deceased

Arughtai had let down the imperial grace and invaded our border time and time again.

To protect the people,

I had mobilized my troops to hunt him down.

Now that we have achieved victory, the contributors will be rewarded.

According to the list of rewards and punishments prepared by the Ministry of Rites,

[Huang Yan, Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial] those who have contributed to this expedition,

you are to sit at the front row and enjoy the best delicacies.

[Yang Shiqi, Grand Secretary] Those whose contributions cancel out their faults,

you are to sit in the next row and enjoy the second-best delicacies.

[Jian Yi, Minister of Personnel] To those who have not contributed anything,

[Liu Shun, Assistant Minister] you are to sit at the last row

[of the Court of State Ceremonial] and enjoy the third-best delicacies.

As for those who have contributed nothing but mistakes, you are to stand at the side.

Accept the decree.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Father.

[Yang Rong] Official Yang.

[Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Library]

[Jin Youzi] Official Jin.

[Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Library]

Two of you have contributed greatly to this expedition.

According to His Majesty's oral decree,

you two are to sit at the front row and enjoy the best delicacies.

They are hereby promoted by two ranks, and they will receive one golden satin attire

and 5,000 guan in cash.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

We shall follow your decree.

I was late! Father, please pardon me!

Greetings, Father.

[Zhu Gaoxu] [Prince of Han, Second Prince]

I have not summoned you.

How dare you return to the capital without permission?

Lately, I've discovered

a stalk of three-ear grain in my fief.

It signifies the peace of the Ming nation.

Father, you are supremely fortunate and your might knows no bound.

Coincidentally, I had to enter the capital to offer my tribute.

That is why I have entered the capital

to offer the tributes in person.

Father, please pardon me.

Father, Second Brother is just anxious to deliver his good news to you.

Please pardon him.

You are a good brother indeed.

Do not repeat this.

Father, thank you for your magnanimity.

Big Brother, it's been half a year since we last met.

Seems like you have gained some weight.

I can't compare with you.

Look at you.

You look so spirited and awe-inspiring.

Please.

Serve the dishes.

Your Majesty, the dishes are served.

Your Majesty.

Look, the fish's mouth and gills are still moving.

Is it still alive?

The carp looks alive even though it's dead.

You can see the shocking speed at which she cooks.

Your Majesty,

This dish is called Burnt Bone.

[Burnt Bone] It was invented to celebrate the army's victorious return.

Even though our enemies were as tough as iron,

they were no match for your peerless might.

It's even harder for them to win against our mighty army.

So our enemies were as tough as iron?

Do you expect me to grow a set of iron teeth in order to chew them down?

The Court of Imperial Entertainments is getting sloppier.

How dare a mere kitchen cook

to step out of his place and try to please me?

His sin is unforgivable.

Someone, take him away.

Your Majesty, this is the Sweet and Sour Live Carp.

[Jing Quan, Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments]

[Crispy Peach Rice Crust]

Your Majesty.

Even until now,

His Majesty hasn't taken a single bite.

Meng Ziyun, you better think of something.

You would've been fine

if you just stick to serving the food.

Since you've done so much in order to get the right to prepare the imperial feast,

if you don't do a good job today,

you'll be in for a treat!

Manager Fang, it still didn't work?

If His Majesty doesn't consume any of our dishes,

[Wang Kuai, He Ling, Table Maids] does that mean all of us will have to be punished?

The Court of Imperial Entertainments had warned us before.

If His Majesty doesn't eat, it shows the ineptitude of the Imperial Food Service.

Since all people here are inept,

there's no use in keeping us here.

What should we do?

You guys should hurry and think of something!

Hurry and think of something!

Don't worry.

Over here, we have to prepare a feast for the Chongyang Festival.

Outside the city, we have to prepare a feast to reward our victorious army.

The cooks in the Court of Imperial Entertainments cannot prepare the food in time.

Now, the army is getting restless.

According to His Majesty's oral decree,

the Directorate for Palace Delicacies and the Imperial Food Service are to assist us.

You mustn't do so. The feast for the Chongyang Festival hasn't ended yet.

Even so, you have to go.

Why are you guys still standing there?

Hurry and follow me.

The dishes for the military and civil officials have been served.

It's useless for you guys to stay.

Hanying,

take them and follow the minister out of the palace.

Follow me.

Two of you should tag along.

Let's go.

Directress Hu, what should we do?

What should we do about the feast?

What should I do?

Continue.

Why are you panicking?

Let me cut the chicken livers.

(Zhanji,)

(why haven't you returned yet?)

(Do you know)

(that your father is in a tough spot right now?)

I had already issued my decree long ago.

Gaochi, why didn't you receive me outside the city?

Father, I have a heavy body.

I'm not good at horse riding.

It's my fault

for being late in receiving you.

Father, please punish me.

Father,

you cannot blame Big Brother for this.

It's the fault of his useless aides!

During my return from the North,

I've already received a report.

Zhang He, Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, son-in-law of Lyu Zhen,

Minister of Rites, has committed a breach of etiquette during the morning court assembly.

Gaochi, you actually tolerated his behavior

and let him be.

I'm truly disappointed in you.

Father,

it's my fault for mishandling my subordinates.

Please punish me!

[Ming Military Camp, Outskirts]

Hurry!

Where's our food?

I don't care!

We want food!

Stop wasting our time!

Sir, please wait. We're already cooking them.

Didn't His Majesty grant us a feast?

It's almost midnight!

That's right.

Where's our food?

-Yes, sir. -He's right!

I want food!

Hurry and bring us our food!

Bring us our food!

You guys are here to reward the army.

Why can't we eat yet?

Sir, I know it's been tough on you guys.

But you have too many people here.

Please calm down.

Don't go!

Assistant Minister, you're finally here.

Now, all the cauldrons we've brought here

and the cauldrons we found in the military camp

are fully occupied.

We don't have enough cauldrons.

His Majesty has already issued an imperial decree.

Now, we have to prepare a feast for thousands of people.

But I can't do it!

Why don't we check out the kitchen again?

Maybe there are extra cauldrons in the store?

Why are you so flustered?

Of course I'm flustered.

We have help from the Imperial Food Service.

Since Matron Meng is that capable,

I'm sure everyone under her is exceptional.

That's right. Official Zhao, you're right.

Go on.

Okay.

Hanying, the Court of Imperial Entertainments has 3,000 cooks.

What do they mean by they can't do it?

Moreover, if the military camp doesn't have enough cooking utensils,

how do they cook for the entire army when they go on an expedition?

It's obvious that they're making things difficult for us.

This place will be a mess.

We should hurry and return to the palace.

If we return right now, we'll be going against the imperial decree.

We will be executed.

Back then, when the Court of Imperial Entertainments

prepared the menu, the Directorate for Palace Delicacies prepared the dishes,

and the Imperial Food Service served the food,

that was what you call order.

But Matron Meng just had to go against the order.

Today, I'll see what you guys are capable of.

Assistant Minister Zhao,

are we in charge of the cooks of the Court of Imperial Entertainments as well?

Sure.

I brought a total of 500 cooks here.

You can use them all you want.

But now,

are you able to solve this problem?

I'll go and borrow some cauldrons.

Where will you get the cauldrons?

I have my own ways.

But can you guys delay this for another hour?

Judging by this situation,

forget about an hour,

we can't even afford to wait for 15 minutes.

I assume you're not trying to run away.

Are you sure you can return

within an hour?

I can!

You, come here.

Take some men and follow her.

Yes, Assistant Minister.

Do your job. Go and cook.

Stop!

Is anyone inside?

[Liu's Preserved Fruits and Candied Fruits] Open the door! Is anyone inside?

Open the door!

According to His Majesty's decree,

Yang Shiqi, Grand Academician of the Left Secretariat of the Heir Apparent was negligent.

Liu Shun, Assistant Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, was late in delivering reports.

Lyu Zhen, Minister of Rites, was too arrogant.

Jian Yi, Minister of Personnel and Supervisor of the Household

Administration of the Heir Apparent, had failed his duties.

All of them are to be arrested and sent to the Imperial Prison.

Your Majesty, His Highness was a filial and sincere son!

Even if he has committed a mistake, it is our fault!

I am willing to bear the punishment on His Highness's behalf!

Your Majesty!

I am willing to bear the punishment on His Highness's behalf!

I am willing to bear the punishment on His Highness's behalf!

Your Majesty!

Father!

There's no time for us

to cook our dishes slowly.

[Bao'er Rice: According to the apologetic treatise]

[Zhuozhongzhi written by the Ming eunuch, Liu Ruoyu, it's a dish in which lettuce]

[is used to wrap fatty meats, ginger, garlic.]

Bao'er Rice?

Hurry, everyone, help her out.

Let's make Bao'er Rice.

[Bao'er Rice]

We're serving the dishes now!

Hurry!

Here.

Come on, hold it properly.

Come and take your flat cakes.

Official Zhao,

didn't you see they were going to mess this up for sure?

I thought we could show them our capability after they had messed up?

Yantao, pass this message to the other camps.

For the first dish, we'll serve this.

Yes.

I hope she can be back in time.

[The list of imperial dishes]

Judging from the list of imperial dishes for the northern expedition,

seems like His Majesty's body is fine.

But the journey was a tiring one.

I'm sure His Majesty is starving.

Why hasn't His Majesty consumed any food?

Directress Hu.

As this is very sudden,

that's why I'm suggesting this bold idea even though I'm new here.

Please trust me for once.

Regarding today's matter,

you may stay if you make the correct guess.

But if you make the wrong guess...

Hurry!

Hurry!

What should we do?

We have a limited number of cauldrons.

Even if we have enough manpower, we can't cook the dishes in time!

Time is almost up.

We can't afford to delay this any longer.

[Xiang Qin] [Table Maid in the Foods Office]

She's back!

She's back!

Where did you manage to find such huge cauldrons?

I've visited every preserved fruit shop there is in the capital.

Let's go. Let's get back to work.

Let's go.

Okay.

Hurry!

So that's the case.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, the feast is filled with greasy dishes.

I'm afraid Your Majesty might get tired of the greasy food.

(That's why I've selected some fine chicken livers for this dish.)

(I steamed them after they were seasoned,)

and condensed them into this liver extract.

Your Majesty, please give it a try.

[Steamed Tofu with Chicken Stock]

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, there's chicken oil on top of the tofu.

It's very tender.

And it aids in digestion.

Your Majesty.

[Stewed Meat With Herbs]

This smell.

Your Majesty, when I was stewing the meat,

(I've used cloves, cinnamon,)

(nutmeg, and other Chinese herbs to stew it.)

So it has a rich smell and it's very tender.

It can strengthen the spleen and stimulate the appetite.

The heavens have blessed us!

His Majesty is finally eating!

Let me do it.

Matron Meng.

As for the Crown Prince...

Father.

Father!

Father.

Greetings, Father.

Crown Princess, why are you here?

Father,

in the past, whenever the Ming army returns victorious,

Mother would surely command the cooks

to prepare the imperial feast to serve you.

Mother was a benevolent person.

She often met our soldiers in person

and rewarded them when you were on your conquest.

That is why the court officials and the populace

were grateful for her benevolence.

Now that our army has returned victorious from the expedition,

I'm in tears

as I'm reminded of the past.

With this dish,

Father, I wish you longevity. Long live Your Majesty.

I wish the Ming dynasty to be prosperous

for generations to come.

Father,

this dish is called Mother and Child.

[Mother and Child]