Resumo do episódio 12 de The Heir
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Li Zhen carefully examined the four finished blocks of the newly restored lacquer-soot ink, each meticulously adorned with a gold-traced four-season painting by Manager Shao. Smiling, she distributed them to her family as keepsakes, gifting the Spring piece to her sister-in-law, Summer to her mother, Autumn to her brother Li Zhengliang, and the Winter piece—which symbolized concealing sharpness to store energy—to her grandfather, Eighth Master Li Jinshui.
Standing in the tidy ink workshop, Li Zhen reminisced about playing hide-and-seek there as a child, admitting she only now understood the incredible craftsmanship housed within. Her mother, however, worried that the Li family had not truly accepted Li Zhen, warning that once the ink testing event concluded, the lacquer-soot ink would no longer belong to her. Undeterred, Li Zhen insisted that her skills remained her own and could never be buried.
She then asked her grandfather if he would attend the upcoming event. Though Li Jinshui had sworn to quit the ink industry and declined to go, he warmly wished her ultimate success. To bless the event, Li Jinshui used the lacquer-soot ink to write the name of the residence on a lantern, with the mother and Li Zhengliang leaving their own ink marks alongside his.
Li Zhen then proudly announced that her very first ink testing event was ready to begin. Meanwhile, Qi Jiu's sworn elder sister marveled at Li Zhen's successful recreation of the ancient lacquer-soot ink. Knowing that Qi Jiu had tested the waters and now intended to invest in Li Ink, she questioned if he had any selfish motives. Qi Jiu explained that in a world where it was hard to have things both ways, he had to seize this opportunity.
His sister reminded him of their past—she as a merchant on the sea and he as a fugitive on the run, both saved by Marshal Qi and the General. While she understood his deep blood feud with the Tian family, she urged him not to act on impulse, emphasizing that securing military supplies in Huizhou remained their top priority.
Qi Jiu reassured her that he would handle the military supplies with complete dedication, but firmly stated he could never abandon his quest for vengeance. At the Tian residence, Tian Huai'an anxiously pressed his son Tian Benchang to expedite their own lacquer-soot ink production, warning that they could not afford to let the whole of Huizhou mock Tian Ink.
His second son suddenly rushed in with the news that Li Zhen had already restored the ancient ink and was hosting an event. Tian Benchang sneered, confident that the event would fail if no one showed up. To sabotage Li Ink, Tian Benchang visited Lord Yan ahead of time, presenting him with their own Baibao Ink, which had supposedly been praised by Lord Xu in the capital.
He deliberately scheduled the Tian family's ink testing event on the exact same day as the Li family's, inviting Lord Yan to attend. Just as he finished, Li Zhen arrived with her own invitation. Noting the deliberate clash, Lord Yan remarked on the incredible coincidence. Outside the mansion, Tian Benchang smugly told Li Zhen that business had no room for friendship, only winners and losers. Li Zhen remained composed, replying that it was too early to tell who would triumph.
Upon learning of the Tian family’s sabotage, the Li family gathered to discuss their options. While some suggested changing the date, Seventh Grandmother took Li Zhen’s advice to stand their ground, agreeing that constantly shifting to accommodate external obstacles would only cause them to lose direction. To secure victory, Li Zhen suggested they needed an influential calligrapher or painter to test their ink, as well as a major merchant to guarantee its future sales.
For the testing, she proposed the legendary landscape painter Mr. Dongtu, arguing that his flowing brushstrokes would best highlight the shifting variations of lacquer-soot ink, unlike the static seal script of Mr. Guangyuan or the Court Style of Mr. Yuanyou. Li Jingdong scoffed at the idea, noting that Mr. Dongtu only ever worked with Third Master Chen. Believing they had to try, Li Zhen took charge of the event and set out to find him.
Li Zhen first visited Qi Jiu at Yihousheng to thank him for his previous help in procuring the gallbladder (Zhongqing zhi fu). She then explained the dilemma of the competing events, asking if he could help invite a prominent merchant to support Li Ink. She pointed out that if the event failed, it would not only embarrass Lord Yan but also ruin Qi Jiu's own carefully laid plans.
Touched by her trust, Qi Jiu promised to do his utmost to assist. Li Zhen then sought out Third Master Chen for a recommendation to Mr. Dongtu. Chen revealed that the artist had struggled with his latest river landscape painting and had retreated to Mount Qiyun in seclusion. When he hesitated to interfere, Li Zhen playfully lamented her plight as an unloved granddaughter who would have to wander the cold mountains alone for days.
Relenting, Third Master Chen handed her a recommendation letter, warning her to remain respectful. As Li Zhen prepared for her journey, Qi Jiu caught up with her and offered to accompany her through the rough and distant terrain of Mount Qiyun. Along the way, they paused by an archway, and Li Zhen warmly recalled her late father carrying her on his shoulders.
Qi Jiu praised her father’s legacy as a brilliant rising star of Hui Ink and the son of Eighth Master Li. When they sat down to rest, Li Zhen noticed Qi Jiu had cut his arm. She lamented the lack of rouge medicinal ink—a healing ink her father had specially created for her.
She shared that she had given her very last piece of it to a boy named Luo Wenqian, a round-faced, round-eyed little boy with small hair buns whom she had saved from bullies on a Mid-Autumn Festival during her childhood. Though they had become close friends, his family was soon met with tragedy, and she quietly feared he was no longer alive.
Moved by her words, Qi Jiu comforted her, saying that her friend would be deeply touched to know she still remembered him. He then offered her some stone cakes (Shitougou). Surprised that an outsider knew of this local travel snack, Li Zhen asked him about it. Qi Jiu quickly explained that his father had done business in Huizhou and hired a local chef who frequently made it.
When asked about his own family, Qi Jiu admitted that his home had been destroyed by bandits, leaving him as the sole survivor. Apologizing for bringing up his painful past, Li Zhen praised his resolve to build his own business with his own hands. Using Third Master Chen's letter, the two successfully gained entry to Mr. Dongtu’s mountainside studio. The artist welcomed them warmly, serving tea to ward off the spring chill.
When asked why he had built his retreat there, Qi Jiu guessed it was due to the artist's love for pine trees, which featured in all of his paintings. Mr. Dongtu sighed, explaining that the booming ink industry had depleted Huizhou’s pine forests, forcing him to flee to the mountains to find inspiration. Li Zhen agreed, noting that her grandfather had also lamented how century-old pine wood was now scarce.
She solemnly promised to plant pine trees every year to preserve the ink industry's foundation for future generations, and Qi Jiu pledged to join her efforts. Touched by their sincere commitment to the land and the craft, Mr. Dongtu agreed to descend the mountain and paint for the Li family's event. Back in Huizhou, the Li family faced a severe crisis on the eve of the event.
The Tian family had aggressively bought up all the raw lacquer within a hundred miles, leaving Li Ink with only enough material to produce ten catties of ink. Desperate, Seventh Grandmother ordered her servants to search as far north as Xi'an and south as Zhangzhou. Just as hope seemed lost, Manager Shao rushed in to report that Qi Jiu had sent seven or eight carriages carrying five hundred catties of raw lacquer.
Grateful for this timely rescue, Seventh Grandmother toasted Qi Jiu with tea and offered to pay him a fair price. However, Qi Jiu refused immediate profit, proposing instead a long-term partnership. He offered to donate the raw lacquer for free and invest one thousand taels into Li's lacquer-soot ink.
Seventh Grandmother, mindful of the risks and the fact that the invited guests had not yet confirmed their attendance, politely declined for the moment, explaining that investing in their ink was a matter of family heritage rather than a simple business deal. Understanding her perspective, Qi Jiu agreed to wait until the conclusion of the ink testing event before discussing their partnership further.
