A Qing-Dynasty Palace Kitchen Slacker Just Wants to Eat

Song Tian, heir to a family of imperial chefs, had just won an international gold medal when she worked herself to death. When she opened her eyes again, she was the daughter of a disgraced minor official exiled in the Great Qing: destitute, with a mountain of debt.

Song Tian: I'm tired. Let the world end. I worked myself to the bone in my last life. This time, I just want to lie flat and eat my fill.

To get a decent meal, she uses her extraordinary cooking skills to land a job in the palace, tending the fire in the Imperial Kitchen. Her ultimate dream of “taking it easy and eating well” has come true.

But then the entire palace takes a bizarre turn.

The picky crown prince, whose fussiness used to drive the whole palace mad, now squats outside the Imperial Kitchen with a bowl every day. “Little Fire Tender, is there any more Dongpo pork today?”

The scheming imperial consorts stop competing to outshine one another and instead try every trick to bribe her. “Miss Song, make me a Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and I'll guarantee your safety for a month.”

Even the struggle among the nine princes to claim the throne turns into a scramble for the ladle!

Song Tian clutches her rice bowl and trembles: I really just want to quietly enjoy a meal!