Royal Feast Episode 34 Recap
> Royal Feast Recap
You Yifan is summoned by Zhu Zhanji. His subordinate cautions him to be careful, noting General Manager Yuan's unusual demeanor and the Imperial Concubine's presence. Zhu Zhanji immediately questions You Yifan about the locust plague.
You Yifan provides a detailed account of the affected regions, explaining that while Hejian and Shunde have largely controlled the locusts by timely public mobilization and diversified crop planting, Shanxi suffers greatly due to officials' perfunctory efforts, resulting in widespread famine where migratory locusts block out the sun and people cannot eat enough. Zhu Zhanji then confronts You Yifan about past accusations of ingratiating the previous emperor and causing unrest among officials, leading to the "boiling of material discussion."
You Yifan cleverly deflects, using the analogy of a bronze mirror reflecting people's hearts, implying the mirror itself is blameless. Zhu Zhanji then shifts to the issue of misappropriated disaster relief funds, to which You Yifan confirms he has prepared a list of involved officials. Expressing his conviction that corrupt officials are more dangerous than locusts, Zhu Zhanji orders the Royal Guards to arrest and execute those responsible, declaring that not a single one should be spared.
He then instructs You Yifan to circulate a newly written poem among officials as a stern warning against corruption. Shortly after, You Yifan confronts Yao Zijin, accusing her of defaming him to the Emperor and urging her to stop. Yao Zijin retorts, questioning if she is slandering him or if he is simply too skilled at dissimulation before Zhu Zhanji.
She points out how ministers like Yang Shiqi and Lu Zhen have changed their ways, becoming more outspoken and serious, attributing this to Zhu Zhanji's virtuous influence, as what a superior favors, subordinates will surely follow. You Yifan maintains he is merely carrying out orders. Yao Zijin then warns him that his words could be interpreted as criticism of the late Emperor Taizong.
You Yifan’s subordinates quickly interject, praising both emperors, while You Yifan confidently states that Zhu Zhanji trusts him as the Royal Guards are the Emperor’s eyes and ears. He dismissively tells Yao Zijin to return to her palace and take care of her little inkstone. Yao Zijin, however, firmly reminds him that Zhu Zhanji needs "eyes and ears that can understand the sufferings of the people."
After she departs, You Yifan's subordinate comments that Yao Zijin deliberately challenged him, but You Yifan simply smiles. Yao Zijin, concerned for Zhu Zhanji, sends him a ginger-persimmon cream, including dietary advice. Zhu Zhanji is deeply distressed by the widespread drought in Jinan, Yanzhou, Dongchang, and Qingzhou, where wheat crops have withered and people are starving. He is incensed to learn that the Ministry of Works is still making urgent, costly purchases of pigments for the ancestors' mausoleum.
Zhu Zhanji vehemently asserts that the suffering of the Shandong people, who are also their ancestors' descendants, would not be tolerated by the ancestors themselves. He immediately issues strict orders to halt all such purchases, threatening execution for anyone who dares to further burden the populace. He also demands to know why he was not informed of these issues sooner, then summons the Minister of Works.
Later, during dinner, Yao Zijin notices Zhu Zhanji's agitated state and suggests adding honey to his mint tea for a calming effect. At the meal, a courtier, Master Mei, mentions his impending marriage to the eldest daughter of Master Wang from the Hanlin Academy, revealing his engagement was set last year and the auspicious date chosen for June this year. Yao Zijin notes his impending marriage and understands that Purple Azolla must be deeply saddened.
Master Mei also praises a dish that tastes like crab roe, which he cannot eat due to an allergy. Yao Zijin explains the culinary secret: it is made using rice soup and salted duck egg yolk, not chicken yellow. Zhu Zhanji, seemingly annoyed, then curtly dismisses Master Mei from the dinner. The Head of the Provisions Bureau, Su Yuehua, expresses frustration over the Empress's persistent poor appetite, as all her meticulously prepared meals are returned.
A subordinate, He Shu, confirms that while the Empress's cold has improved, her appetite is severely affected, causing her to avoid even her favorite dishes. Su Yuehua firmly tells Purple Azolla, who offers help, to not interfere, stating that the Empress has personally entrusted her with Kunning Palace's meals. However, Purple Azolla, determined to help, declares she will change the entire menu, despite Su Yuehua's insistence that such a major issue should be reported to the Queen Mother.
Purple Azolla cites Kunning Palace's strict orders against revealing the Empress's diet, but Su Yuehua counters by highlighting the Empress's visible thinning and absence from the Qianqiu Festival due to illness, indicating the Emperor and Queen Mother’s deep concern, especially with the upcoming visit to the imperial mausoleums. Purple Azolla takes responsibility, vowing to find a dish the Empress will eat. The Queen Mother, seeking to eliminate palace malpractices, has Yao Zijin review purchase accounts.
Yao Zijin impresses her with her efficiency. Yao Zijin reports a major discrepancy: Emperor Taizu's ancestral precept allowed palace purchases to be ten cash higher than market price, but current records show items bought hundreds of times higher. This confirms previous concerns raised by Meng Shang Palace.
The Queen Mother notes that eunuchs making purchases are often recommended by Si Li Jian, recalling Taizu's rule that all palace purchases must be re-inspected within seven days, with severe penalties, including execution, for any discrepancies, extending to those who made the recommendations. When asked if she fears resistance to reform, Yao Zijin confidently states that no one dares question Emperor Taizu's precepts. Yuan Qi, visibly nervous, then excuses himself.
The Empress arrives and, acknowledging Yao Zijin's actions, cautiously advises the Queen Mother that being too strict might lead to no one being willing to serve. Yao Zijin, however, counters by revealing that people outside the palace are now abandoning traditional studies to become eunuchs, driven by the lure of illicit gain, a development the Empress finds deplorable and agrees warrants harsh punishment.
Yao Zijin explains that her intention was to send a clear warning to Yuan Qi, Zhu Zhanji's most trusted confidant. She states that her actions are not only to curb the eunuchs' corruption but also to spare Zhu Zhanji future heartbreak. The Queen Mother dines with the Empress and Yao Zijin.
During the meal, the Empress enthusiastically discusses Yongcheng's plan to construct a "divine tower" to pray for the well-being of the Queen Mother, Zhu Zhanji, and the prosperity of the Daming Empire. Zhu Zhanji enters and is visibly angered upon hearing this, questioning if the Queen Mother is aware that Yongcheng intends to conscript two thousand civilian workers for the tower's construction. The Empress defends the project as a means of offering prayers for the nation's welfare.
However, Zhu Zhanji vehemently retorts that "it is a blessing to be exempt from service," declaring that he has no need for blessings obtained by burdening his people. He demands to know who lobbied for this project and orders them to be told, "Don't bother my people." The Empress apologizes for her thoughtlessness and tries to calm him. Zhu Zhanji then sits down to eat. The Empress tries to help him with a fish, but he curtly declines her assistance.
Her attendant later tries to defend the Empress's actions as filial piety, blaming the Ministry of Works. The Empress, sensing the tension, excuses herself, stating she will return another day. You Yifan approaches Yao Zijin and warns her that her current actions, though well-intentioned, will offend many, particularly the eunuchs who, he cautions, are ubiquitous and resilient, like Senecio in the field that regrows endlessly.
He emphasizes that even powerful princes and ministers are wary of offending them, as their covert attacks are difficult to guard against. Yao Zijin dismisses his warning, arguing that if Meng Shang Palace could address such issues, so could she. You Yifan then questions why she is involving herself with Kunning Palace's affairs when her primary duty is to manage the Emperor and Queen Mother's meals.
Yao Zijin clarifies that as the Steward of the Provisions Bureau, it is her responsibility. She reveals that the Empress, despite being served shad by the Queen Mother, found it difficult to swallow, leading Yao Zijin to suspect that the Empress's previous cold has permanently affected her appetite and taste. Since Su Yuehua's attempts with various famous dishes have failed, Yao Zijin suggests trying simple folk dishes.
She praises Purple Azolla for her newfound sense of responsibility and care for others, stating that Purple Azolla was born to cook and that becoming the Head of the Provisions Bureau is within her reach if she first succeeds in managing the Empress's meals. Purple Azolla, encouraged, eagerly accepts the challenge. The Queen Mother and Zhu Zhanji embark on an outing to the countryside, accompanied by Yao Zijin.
At a village stop, the Queen Mother praises the local pancakes as true peasant fare and offers one to Zhu Zhanji, encouraging him to experience the simple life of the common people. She also gives one to Yao Zijin, explaining its significance. Observing the Empress struggling to eat the pancake, Yao Zijin publicly points out its unusual softness, rich flavors of pine nuts and walnuts, and sweetness, questioning if honey or rock sugar was added.
Yuan Qi, a eunuch, confesses that these pancakes were, in fact, prepared by palace cooks beforehand to ensure their safety. Yao Zijin then pointedly remarks that palace cooks would never dare to make genuine folk dishes, merely presenting a facade, and that Zhu Zhanji, having little exposure to true country fare, would not know the difference, implicitly also conveying this to Yuan Qi. Suddenly, it is reported that Wei Wang has disappeared, having slipped away during a break.
Zhu Zhanji, instructing Chen Wu to explain to the Queen Mother and send her ahead to the temporary palace, prepares to change into lighter clothes. Yao Zijin, having secretly changed into male attire, appears, asserting she will follow wherever Zhu Zhanji goes. Zhu Zhanji, exasperated, orders his guards to send her back. Yao Zijin counters that her quick tongue might inadvertently reveal sensitive information to the Queen Mother.
She also confidently boasts of her riding and hunting prowess, implying her ability to protect herself. Zhu Zhanji then instructs Chen Wu to remain behind and explain his delay to the Queen Mother. Yao Zijin locates Wei Wang by a small river, dressed in servant's clothes. Zhu Zhanji questions how Wei Wang, with so many eyes watching, managed to escape alone. Wei Wang claims he swapped clothes with a eunuch, but Yao Zijin expresses skepticism, implying it's a ruse.
Wei Wang, in turn, laments that no one cares for him since his parents are gone. Zhu Zhanji reassures him, promising protection as his elder brother, and asks Wei Wang not to ask him not to punish him, threatening to expose whoever aided his escape. Yao Zijin then points out a group of people across the river.
Chen Wu investigates and reports that they are refugees from Baoding and Zhen Ding prefectures, driven by last year's drought, poor harvest, and this year's devastating locust plague and failed summer wheat crop. Zhu Zhanji is stunned, realizing that the scenes of prosperity he had witnessed were meticulously staged, and the suffering refugees had been deliberately hidden from his view. He then understands that Wei Wang's unexpected escape was orchestrated by Yao Zijin to lead him to see the truth.
Zhu Zhanji confronts Yao Zijin, who explains that without seeing it firsthand, the refugees would have been further displaced, and the truth, like the pre-made pancakes, would have been denied. She reminds him of his youth, when he and Emperor Taizong secretly observed common folk, deeply understanding their hardships. She argues that what seem like minor transgressions—such as inflated prices for palace provisions—are like termites slowly destroying a grand edifice.
Zhu Zhanji acknowledges his failure, and Chen Wu apologizes for his perceived dereliction of duty, but Zhu Zhanji defends Chen Wu, saying the situation was too complex to report without implicating the Emperor himself. Wei Wang then complains of hunger. Yao Zijin reveals she had prepared meals at a nearby farmhouse. Wei Wang, feeling manipulated, accuses Yao Zijin of being scheming and hopes she falls out of favor. Zhu Zhanji, deeply affected, rides off alone.
You Yifan then offers Yao Zijin his own spirited horse, assuring her of her safety. Yao Zijin accepts, expressing gratitude, while You Yifan instructs his own subordinate to walk back. Upon returning to the posthouse, Yao Zijin informs the Empress that Zhu Zhanji, still displeased by earlier events, decided to personally visit nearby villages, which reassured the Queen Mother, who then returned to the temporary palace.
Yao Zijin notes that Zhu Zhanji has not yet eaten and suggests varying the menu, announcing that she has brought Su Yuehua with her to assist. She expresses appreciation for Su Yuehua's presence, citing a shortage of hands. Yao Zijin encourages everyone to enjoy the rare opportunity to dine outside the palace and try new flavors, inviting Purple Azolla and Yunzhou to join them. She then proceeds to the kitchen.
Su Yuehua explains her careful method for preparing chicken porridge, emphasizing that finely mincing the chicken retains its original flavor. The Empress tastes the chicken porridge, declaring it "very delicious," but despite her words, she eats very little.
