Royal Feast (2022) So far so good...

Royal Feast is steadily becoming a favourite with its offerings of stunning food visuals, romance and palace politics. It’s always been the case that this is a drama primarily about the women of the Inner Palace in all their glamour and nastiness. Although the show features the reign of three emperors, the women are really at the heart of the storytelling. Cat fights which routinely make their appearance here are a time honoured tradition in these sorts of dramas because the "survival of the fittest" applies to all with limited options.

Even if romance isn't front and centre here, it is still an important part of the landscape. The ridiculously talented Zhu Zhanji (Xu Kai) is in search of a wife who won't just be someone to keep him warm in bed and give him progeny but to be a pillar of support as he fixes his eye on the throne. His present consort Hu Shanxiang sadly isn't really someone who fits the bill. She's not only a reluctant addition to the royal family but she's not eager (at first) to be the wife of a successor to the throne so by her passivity she inevitably creates an emotional void which the ridiculously accomplished Yao Zijin (Wu Jinyan) is destined to fill. In fact, according to the narrative here, Hu Shanxiang (Zhang Nan) is the “usurper”, a puppet of her family’s political ambitions. Although he doesn’t love her, Zhangji is ready to respect Hu Shanxiang as his designated long-term partner but she doesn’t reciprocate until it’s probably rather too late. Clearly she serves as a contrast to the much more assertive Zijin whose connection with the present crown goes back much further.

Once she’s cooking up a storm in the palace kitchen, Zhu Zhanji takes note of Zijin's abilities and it isn’t before too long that he falls for her without even knowing her background. She's a natural fit for the gifted and intelligent Zhanji who is eager to reinstate her to be by his side. Zijin, however, is loath not only to come in between the pitiful Hu Shanxiang and Zhanji but she’s also been burnt before by the fickle nature of palace politics. She eschews the factional politics vehemently and rejects Zhanji's overtures which leads to a "cold war" between them. He could within his rights compel her to be his concubine but he desperately wants her heart more than anything. He too has been burnt once already by having Hu Shanxiang as his very reluctant consort playing hot and cold with him. For him, Zijin’s attempts to stay aloof is causing a great deal of angst even though he is keeping a watchful eye at an agonizing distance. 

Of late the current empress wants to reinstate Zijin not as consort but as the lesser concubine. It's become a bone of contention. Zijin steadfastly refuses preferring to stay put in the kitchen where she's rising through the ranks and doing a lot of good work improving the quality of the kitchen offerings. However, she is just far too outstanding and it's widely known that the present crown prince is head over heels with her. The present empress is frustrated that her son isn't doing his bit to maintain the bloodline so the concerned mother reasons that since her son is demonstrably partial towards Zijin, they might make their way to the bedroom at some point to start producing offspring to keep the family tree going.

Zijin also catches the eye of the head of the Brocade Guards (Jin Yi Wei), You Yi Fan (Wang Yizhe) who is grudging in his admiration of her even while he pretends indifference. They do have a fascinating dynamic but he's too much shrouded in danger and darkness to be a contender for her affections. While he seems to be playing the loyal servant of the emperor, he is also playing a dangerous game with internal forces that would want to unseat the incumbent.

In the ever busy kitchen Zijin’s greatest rival is the highly skilled Su Yuehua whose arrogance and sense of entitlement often leaves one with a sense of foreboding. The two start off as friendly colleagues but Yuehua’s perpetual anxieties about her place in the kitchen and her dubious choices puts her on a trajectory to nowhere good.

The precarious nature of the Imperial Kitchen ensures that competition even among the ambitious veterans is fierce in order to survive the dog eat dog philosophy that governs palace politics. The two top women battle it out with their favourite apprentices to win approval from the first family often in a make or break scenario.

It's hard to believe that there can be so much angst over food prep but yes, there are routinely power plays to curry favour with the right consort or even the Big Man himself. For the current emperor cuts a portly figure. Meanwhile, the food porn is absolutely a sight to behold. In an interview with the leads, it is said that there are over 1000 dishes featured throughout the series. I believe it with all the generous servings on display.

One of the reasons why serious historical dramas have been a staple in my viewing diet for as long as I can remember is in large part due to the high calibre acting that’s often required to convey the subtleties of emotions that can’t be expressed in words in contexts where certain things are taboo. One of the strengths of this drama which speaks to its quality is what transpires in a room with little or no utterances. It’s what’s not said that’s more important. In settings where men and women feel so much and yet words aren’t forthcoming, the eyes and other facial contortions convey all the things that can’t be voiced. This is the kind of show that I die for and I’m fond of acting that can give me that in spades. There are these scenes in Episode 24 where Zhu Zhanji doesn’t say much but his jealousy and resignation are palpable. More than a future monarch, he is a man who is obviously frustrated in love and takes it out on his perceived rival with petulant gestures but later shows his mettle as a progressive man (as much as one can be in such times) by trying to aid the woman he likes find her happiness elsewhere away from him. The words “I love you” never escape their lips but from all the little things that they do for each other, it’s the worst kept secret in the palace.

I live and die for this kind of writing.