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尚食
Set during the Ming dynasty during the rule of Yongle Emperor, it tells the story of a young girl named Yao Zijin, who entered the palace to become a maid of the food bureau. In the deep palace, she remains determined and slowly works her way up while perfecting her craft; while making friends and encountering an unexpected romance at the same time.
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.
