Resumen del episodio 26 de The Heir
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Tian Jiangyue wasted no time in executing her plan to undermine Li Zhen. She summoned Li Decai and confronted him with a hairpin that he had secretly sent to his mistress, Yunniang, in Suzhou just the previous month. Terrified that his secret affair would be exposed to his brother-in-law, Li Jingdong, and his wife, Chunhua, Li Decai fell to his knees and begged for mercy.
Tian Jiangyue seized the opportunity, urging him to channel his deep resentment toward Li Zhen into action. She promised to secure a house in Huizhou for his mistress and child and help him rebuild his reputation within the family, vowing to take the blame if anything went wrong. Overwhelmed by his hatred of being constantly watched like a thief, Li Decai agreed to follow her instructions.
Meanwhile, at the Li Ink workshop, Steward Shao discussed the production of Shize Ink with Li Zhen. Because this particular ink required materials different from their traditional recipes, their stock of fish gelatin was running dangerously low. With a surge of new orders to fulfill before the upcoming imperial examinations, Steward Shao suggested purchasing additional fish gelatin from reliable outside merchants, as it was a material commonly used in carpentry.
Li Zhen agreed that this was the safest and most efficient path forward. Later, Aunt Chunhua approached Li Zhen with a hesitant request. She explained that Li Decai wanted to return to work at the workshop. Although Chunhua admitted she had not fully forgiven him, she believed that giving him a job would occupy his mind and prevent him from feeling useless, which would also protect their young son, Run, from future ridicule.
Out of respect for her aunt, Li Zhen agreed to let him join the workshop, but only if he started from the absolute bottom by twisting lamp wicks to grind down his greedy nature. When Li Zhen assigned him the task of twisting lamp wicks, Li Decai complained that such work was a waste of his talents, suggesting instead that he help with mixing ink or managing the warehouse.
Li Zhen firmly corrected him, demanding he call her Manager Zhen and follow her rules. She warned him that if he showed any further signs of disloyalty, he would be cast out of both the workshop and the family. Decai quickly relented, swearing a solemn oath of loyalty. Soon after, Li Jingdong prepared to depart for a pine yard in another county for at least ten days, leaving Li Zhen in sole charge of the household and the workshop.
With the arrangements in place, Doggie was dispatched to secure the fish gelatin. When the merchant delivered the barrels, he acted surprised that they wanted to inspect the shipment again. Steward Shao firmly explained that Li Ink always inspected every single barrel before taking delivery. Finding no immediate issues, Li Zhen approved the shipment, locked it in the warehouse, and went with the merchant to stamp the order. That evening, the workshop was buzzing with activity.
Concerned about the early rainy season spoiling the materials, Li Zhen decided to stay and work through the night alongside the craftsmen. Li Zhengshen urged her to rest in the inner room to escape the harsh fumes, and she gratefully accepted. Shortly after, Qi Jiu arrived bearing a container of hot chicken soup. He explained that he had run into her mother on his way over, who had guessed she would be working late.
Qi Jiu was impressed by how Li Zhen instantly recognized her mother's soup by its scent of tangerine peel and astragalus. They shared a warm conversation, reminiscing about their childhood training in identifying ink blindfolded and dreaming of the day Seventh Grandmother would wake up to see their successes. Their quiet moment was shattered when Li Zhen detected a sharp, foul odor in the air. Rushing out of the room, she ordered the workers to stop immediately.
Upon inspecting the warehouse, they discovered that the precious fish gelatin had completely spoiled. They noted that the lock was undamaged, and the dampness from the floor alone could not have caused such rapid decay overnight. Realizing something was highly amiss, Li Zhen ordered that the spoiled materials be kept for investigation, instructed the workers to stay the night, and demanded strict confidentiality.
The following morning, Li Decai loudly lamented the crisis, suggesting that he could use his old connections to purchase ready-made ink from other workshops to meet the delivery deadline. He demanded that Li Zhen hand over the family seal and provide him with a large sum of money to secure the deal. Tian Jiangyue quickly chimed in, urging Eldest Aunt Sun Wanyi to revoke Li Zhen's managerial power in Li Jingdong's absence.
Li Zhen flatly refused to yield her authority, pointing out how suspicious it was that Decai had a complete countermeasure prepared the moment the disaster struck. Before the argument could escalate, Mr. Zhang arrived at the workshop with the Education Official, demanding an explanation for the rumors that the Shize Ink was ruined. Li Zhen and Steward Shao calmly managed the situation, assuring the official that the rumors were groundless and that the order would be delivered on time.
When Mr. Zhang demanded to inspect the workshop, Li Zhen blocked him, citing the rule that the production area was strictly off-limits to outsiders. Li Zhen warned the official that forcing entry could damage the delicate ink-making process, leaving him to face the wrath of the students if the order failed. Convinced by her reasoning, the Education Official agreed to respect the workshop's rules and left after warning them to avoid any delay.
Concerned by the narrow escape, Tian Jiangyue continued to whisper in Sun Wanyi's ear, warning her that Li Zhen's stubbornness would ruin the family and suggesting that they summon the clan elders to force her to step down. Sun Wanyi tried to persuade Li Zhen to accept Decai's proposal, but Li Zhen warned her aunt that Decai was likely behind the sabotage. She maintained that she would only surrender the family seal if Seventh Grandmother herself demanded it.
Just as Sun Wanyi left to summon the elders, Qi Jiu ran in with the revelation that the glue buckets had been deliberately tampered with, while Doggie warned Li Zhen that the elders had already assembled at the main house. Li Zhen entered the main hall to find the stern clan elders waiting for her. They immediately scolded her for causing such a mess and demanded the family seal.
In her defense, Li Zhen had Doggie bring in the tampered bucket bottom, explaining that someone had replaced the bottoms of the buckets without making them waterproof, causing the rain to rot the fish gelatin from within. She added that the suspicious merchant had already fled. Despite the evidence of sabotage, the elders and Sun Wanyi insisted on using Decai's plan to buy ready-made ink.
Tian Jiangyue proposed a compromise, suggesting that Li Zhen hand the seal to Sun Wanyi so she and Decai could manage the purchase together. Furious at their blindness, Li Zhen confronted Li Decai directly, exposing his secret mistress and his past illicit trade of raw lacquer. She accused him of colluding with outside merchants to sabotage the workshop.
When Tian Jiangyue tried to intervene, Li Zhen turned on her as well, accusing her of conspiring with Decai to drive her out of the family. The outraged elders ordered the servants to seize Li Zhen and search her for the seal, but Li Zhen defiantly reminded them that her branch had been expelled from the clan, meaning they had no authority over her. She proudly listed how she had saved the family time and again while they did nothing.
As the servants moved in to grab her, Li Jingdong suddenly strode into the hall. He paid his respects to the elders, sat down, and firmly declared that Li Zhen was the head of the Li family, and anyone who objected would have to answer to him. He rebuked the elders for their constant scheming against the very girl who had repeatedly saved them from ruin.
Li Jingdong then vouched for his niece, asking the elders for a five-day limit to uncover the truth and present a solution for the delivery. Li Zhen agreed to step down voluntarily if they failed. Finding themselves without any recourse, the elders begrudgingly accepted the terms and filed out of the hall.
