Royal Feast is the story of Zhu Zhanji (Xu Kai), the Ming Emperor Xuande (reigned 1425–1435), and his fictional love affair with the woman he loved, who later became his consort, Empress Xiaogongzhang (Wu Jinyan) of the Sun and (uncredited) Zhen (uncredited) Yingzhong). Aside from the lavish Ming Dynasty costumes and mouth-watering food, the entire script is poor in substance and leaves the viewer feeling uneasy. In fact, while watching the emperor and his harem enjoy the elaborately prepared dishes to fill their stomachs, I was filled with “qi”