Gilded Chopsticks

Emperor KANGXI appoints his eldest son as the crown prince. The crown prince is a rude and unreasonable person. All the brothers dislike him. Among the people opposing the crown prince, the eighth prince YINSI has the most supporters. On KANGXI's birthday, the forth prince YINZHEN prepares water melon from Taiwan for him. The crown prince has prepared Buddha casserole for the emperor. However, after learning that KANGXI is not feeling well, he takes away YINZHEN's water melon and offers it to KANGXI. When YINGZHEN's bodyguard FUNG YING is patrolling, he discovers that an eunuch has died of poisoning after eating the Buddha casserole secretly. The crown prince believes that this was done by the eighth prince's supporters. He asks YINZHEN to capture the chef who ran away. At the slums of the capital, a shop is very famous for selling salted-fish buns.… ...

When MO-SUET and her mother CHAU-KUK are performing on the street, the Manchu police gives them a hard time. MO-SUET starts a fight with the police. Commander NIAN GENGYAO arrives to investigate the case and he apologizes to MO-SUET. TIN-PO is nervous with the result of SZE-TO's divination and he tries to find out the meaning of "S.E.R.F." from him. The crown prince learns that the emperor misses the salted-fish buns very much and he wants YINZHEN to invite TIN-PO to the palace again. TIN-PO is sleepless before going to the palace. He discovers that SIU-YU is very good at cooking and he wants her to teach him but SIU-YU rejects him. KANGXI invites the ninth prince, YINZHEN and the others to meet up. He scolds the ninth prince in front of everybody and the ninth prince vents his anger on YINZHEN. The representative from Japan challenges the Palace Larder's chef and the chef loses.… ...

SIU-YU also arrives to support TIN-PO in fighting against the Japan chef. TIN-PO finds that SIU-YU is very skillful with knife and he wants to be her apprentice. On the next day, TIN-PO goes to the palace to make buns for KANGXI. KANGXI believes that TIN-PO is ill from the taste of the buns. YINZHEN explains to KANGXI and KANGXI suggests not to pressure TIN-PO anymore. YINZHEN sends TIN-PO home. However, the carriage is suddenly out of control. YINZHEN and TIN-PO fall off the cliff together. YINZHEN wakes up to discover that CHAU-KUK and MO-SUET are taking care of him. TIN-PO tells MO-SUET that YINZHEN is an eunuch from the palace. The crown prince appoints HOK-TING as the new chef and he asks him to make salted-fish buns for KANGXI but HOK-TING fails to make it. The eunuch TAK-SING suggests HOK-TING to learn it at TIN-PO's shop secretly. The silver for tackling Shanxi's disaster is missing.… ...

RUOBI suddenly organizes a Gourmet Bridal Contest. TIN-PO wants to marry RUOBI and he asks SIU-YU to take him as her apprentice. He is shocked to discover that SIU-YU knows how to cook the Five Taste Master's famous dish which has been lost for a long time. SIU-YU denies it and she reveals that she hates Five Taste Master. A customer discovers a strange object in TIN-PO's bun and GENGYAO decides to seal the shop. YINZHEN tries to speak for TIN-PO by saying that he is an eunuch from the palace but he fails. YINZHEN develops a good impression on GENGYAO for he doesn't give in to the powerful people. He brings GENGYAO to Shanxi for investigation together. SIU-YU finally accepts TIN-PO as her apprentice but she wants him to drink with her first. TIN-PO is drunk and he misses the Bridal Contest. On the other hand, SIU-YU passes by the contest venue and she joins the fight by pretending that she is TIN-PO.… ...

KANGXI questions all princes. YINZHEN has discovered a jade pendant in Shanxi and the crown prince gives it to KANGXI. KANGXI recognizes that the jade pendant belongs to the ninth prince. He is very angry and he collapses. In order to cheer KANGXI up, the crown prince asks YINZHEN to invite TIN-PO to the palace for making buns again. TIN-PO introduces YINZHEN to SZE-TO and SZE-TO finds him an extraordinary person. YINZHEN meets YINSI and YINSI reminds him that the crown prince is involved in Shanxi's case. TIN-PO's servant LEE WAI picks up a piece of silver on the floor. RUOBI invites TIN-PO to meet up at the boat in the late evening and TIN-BO accepts the date immediately. LEE WAI is captured by GENGYAO for investigation. TIN-PO tries to speak for LEE WAI but he fails. MO-SUET admires YINSI and SZE-TO cannot bear to give advice to her. TIN-PO asks SZE-TO for help and SZE-TO asks him to find YINZHEN.… ...

TIN-BO sneaks into the palace to investigate the Shanxi's lost silver case. YINZHEN hesitates if he should unmask the crown prince. An orphan is missing at the slums of the capital. MO-SUET rushes to the slums and she starts a fight with YINSI's subordinates. She later realizes that she has misunderstood the case and she admires YINSI even more. YINSI has been investigating Shanxi's case secretly and he finally discovers the truth. He writes an anonymous letter to the crown prince requesting him to surrender himself to KANGXI. The crown prince discusses the case with SONGGOTU who is in charge of the palace's military force and they decide to launch a coup. In order to protect KANGXI, YINZHEN stops the palace guards from entering the palace with the help of FUNG YING and GENGYAO. GENGYAO even kills the leader of the palace guards. YINZHEN visits the emperor with the crown prince. KANGXI wants to kill the crown prince.… ...

GENGYAO has killed the leader of the palace guards and KANGXI sends him to jail. RUOBI is worried and she visits YINZHEN. YINZHEN speaks for GENGYAO and KANGXI finally decides to send GENGYAO to the border area to fight against the robbers as a way to make amends for his faults. RUOBI invites SIU-YU to her mother's birthday banquet. TIN-BO misconceives that she is inviting him but RUOBI kicks him away and TIN-BO is totally shocked. GENGYAO meets SIU-YU and he discovers the truth. He is very angry and he requests SIU-YU to stay away from RUOBI. KANGXI appreciates TIN-BO's cooking skills and he visits his shop secretly. He even offers a Pardon token to TIN-BO. In order to find Five Taste Master, SIU-YU follows TIN-BO and LEE WAI to work in the palace. They are shocked to discover that HOK-TING is the head chef of the Palace Larder.

RUOBI learns that SIU-YU has entered the palace with TIN-BO and she asks GENGYAO to help delivering a letter. SIU-YU wants to get rid of RUOBI and she agrees to help matching up TIN-BO and RUOBI. TIN-BO learns that YINZHEN is fond of MO-SUET and he promises that he will not tell MO-SUET about his Manchurian background. YINSI tells MO-SUET the real identity of YINZHEN. MO-SUET returns to question TIN-BO. YINZHEN arrives coincidentally and he is enraged. He starts a quarrel with TIN-BO and they end up in discord. TIN-BO discovers that LEE WAI has been captured by the guards for stealing expensive tea from the palace. TIN-BO decides to carry out investigation for LEE WAI. On the other hand, SIU-YU suspects that the cook Old FUNG is Five Taste Master. MO-SUET is sick and SZE-TO reveals that only 7-color mushroom could save her life. Only people highly sensitive to smells are able to distinguish 7-color mushroom from other mushrooms.… ...