Draco

I changed my mind about the female costumes. I think they're very nice looking, in the recent ep, the servants are wearing paler colors look much better than the darker colors. Also the skirts they're wearing are so details. The concubines costumes are also very nice looking, I'm starting to like their costumes, or I'm getting use to seeing them wearing these clothes that I'm starting to appreciate the ming styles. In term of the make up, I think it's the hairstyle that makes the women all look older, kind of like how a married woman would tied up her hair to show her maturity, as a result the women look like they're 10 years older ^^

For anyone who interested, the first ep is finally open to watch on YouTube, without needing VPN.

I know what you meant sexual tension in ep 18, she prepare the chestnuts while he was studying. She then fell asleep, and he came and want to touch her, and she woke up, and they had that long stares, that was a really cute scene. He went back to his study, while she fanning herself, and both of them share a glance at each other. I love those scenes ^^

What that has to do with being wise and quick witted. In my opinion, most emperors I seen in this drama or others are quick to anger, whether it's his grandfather, his father. They all tend to have a boiling point, it's just depends on what the topic is. It's a tendency of emperor, probably has to do with having too much power, that they think it's within their rights to vent their anger regardless.

So far so good, a very good palace drama with food as its theme. I can't wait to watch the next episode. Zi jin and zi ping have such a good sister bond reminded me of mingyu and yingluo relationship as well as the empress and yingluo in yanxi palace. Zhanji's consort and concubine seem to get along with each other, I wonder how it will be after he becomes emperor? You yi fan seems to like zi Jin, and also know her background, I wonder what's his deal? What is his intention working with yue hua, I can't decide how yue hua becomes so jaded, she use to be a much nicer person, having her mother abandoned her, and her master dismissed from her post must be the last straw. She's not a strong person like zi ping, who also has a sad past but she was able to overcome her past, although her change was helped by having a good friend in zi Jin. If zi Jin was there for yue hua like she was for zi ping,maybe yue hua wouldn't become like she did now. She use to want to befriend with zi Jin, but now she just want to compete with her. I like how zi Jin answer yue hua about how she looks at food, every cook intention is to serve a good meal no matter where they come from...

Agree with you, I find romance dramas get boring quickly, I find a couple having meaningful conversation with each other, with occasional hugs and kisses are good enough, I don't put too much emphasis on having too much sexual activities to be consider good, I kind of look down on that, and consider it trash, what I love in a good drama is plot and characters the most. I remember watching older historical dramas where the most romantic a couple did is hug each other, and you can still feel the love they have for each other, this is how acting should be when they can show they're in love through platonic gestures, through their eyes meeting each other rather than just a kiss scene nowadays.

He is not an unreasonable person when he was a crown prince, but ever since he became emperor he keeps butting head with his son as well as the empress. I think he's too prideful, and doesn't like to be reminded that his father favor his son, and him being emperor was due to his father wanting to pass on the throne to his son. Who would want to hear of their shortcomings. He's an emperor who has the most power, and would rather do things his ways rather than the ways of the late emperor, he would get annoy when his son mentioned the previous emperor and automatically think he's being criticize.

I wonder how yue hua went from reprimanding matron hu for using her best friend to working for her. The prince of wei and the crown prince have a nice brotherly bond, he actually said his older brother is his favorite person, that so cute that he's making his father jealous ^^ Ep 18 and 19 have so much going on. We went from having a food contest, to zhi Jin almost gotten kill and was saved by you yi fan, to the prince of wei fell ill, and the food service gotten blame. In order to save matron meng and zi ping, zi Jin begged the empress for help. The empress was accused of poisoning the prince of wei, then it turned out it was his own mother that caused his illness to blame the empress. Wow what a bad mother. This emperor is so foolish to listen to his mistress only, and doubt the empress. The crown prince and crown princess finally arrived and solve the puzzle of the young prince's illness. Too much to take in. Zi Jin is so brave though, she was willing to be cains so she could get the empress help to save her friend and matron meng, the crown prince wanting to help her, but is too prideful because she rejected him. I'm so glad zi Jin and zi ping got promoted. Matron hu finally gotten her due losing the empress as her patron as well as being punished, she deserved it. The crown princess punished zi Jin because her sister gotten punished by the empress, didn't think she has any family love to matron hu. Too much drama, matron meng was betrayed by her patron, but she is still working for her, so I was right concubine gu was the reason she got her job back.

I agree with you, their relationship here shares some similarities to the emperor and empress in yanxi palace. However zi Jin is much stronger due to her experience of being pass over and not made the main wife. Now she knows she has many options, not just becomes his wife and only devote to him.

I find their characters in royal feast are more mature and the relationship is also different because he's from royalty. The relationship in yanxi palace is more like a youthful love, and I think what made me have so much regrets over their love is how young they were, and what it could've been between them if there's no pressure from outside forces. In here his status makes it possible for their relationship, the only thing that is stopping them is her desire for freedom, and her wanting to be first in his heart since she has to share him with other women.

I'm watching it slowly on YouTube since I heard the sub provided on mangotv and elsewhere is bad, even after watching some people still don't understand the plot. The sub on YouTube is slower but it's the best to watch this drama. I won't listen to other people to make the choice for me though, I'll check it myself. It's a palace drama, I watched other palace dramas and they're characters centric rather than just following a plot, plus this follows real history so I'm interested to see what happens next. Plus I know xukai character will become king in the future, I can't wait to see that. I don't have too much expectations though since the beginning I love the food theme, as well as the main leads.

You're right, the wedding hasn't started and houchi came and stop the wedding. Jing Zhao told him she gotten humiliated, and wanted baijue to let her stays with him to give her face, he let her stays to monitor her mother, but also to compensate for using her. In term of marriage, I do agree it's sacred and shouldn't be taken lightly, baijue was prepared to marry the princess just showed his resolve about averting the disaster from happening to shanggu again. Houchi and qingmu married is separate from baijue and shanggu, so I would like to see baijue and shanggu wedding after they reunion ^^

I would call his character anything but bland, but I guess that comes down to preference. Also asking about plot when you're watching only up to ep 8, if you watch to the end and still think there's no plot then I won't say anything, but aren't you being premature. I watched up ep 17, and still looking forward to finding out the mystery of Zi Jin's background.

Are you saying this drama has a novel? It's didn't say on here. I thought it was an original story written only for drama.

Thanks for your answers ^^

You can get VPN for free in the app I think. Someone was helping by answering this a while back. Set your region to Taiwan or Indonesia.

YouTube, so many comments asking the same thing and the best option is YouTube, but you have to use VPN, it's sub to ep 19.

I understand Zhu zhan ji is an emperor and needs to have an heir. I don't hold that against him, and agree he has to care for his country and his people. As an emperor he has many wives, but his love for Zhu Jin is real, but she is still one woman among many of his women. He can't care only for her, he has to also pay attention to his other wives as well, there's no escaping that. Fuheng wasn't royalty, that is true as a result he could stay devote to one woman, his love for wei yingluo was really admirable, not many men can stay loyal to one woman. I agree with you I thing if Zhang ji is not an emperor, he would only want one wife who is willing to be devoted to him and he to her, he seem to be a romantic person.

You're saying their relationship is similar to the relationship between the main leads in yanxi palace. The emperor keeps getting jealous, and she keeps having to coax him. There was even a separation and she stayed with the dowager empress when he found out she didn't want to keep his child, is it as bad as that?

Thanks for your explanation, I didn't know about that. Who are the actors in ancient love poetry that are in the same company with him. And are there other dramas of his that has the same arrangement?