Resumo do episódio 16 de The Heir
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Lord Yan sent a letter to Li Zhen, suggesting that they try using the medicinal ink to treat his daughter Lanxiang’s facial sores. However, he emphasized that the treatment could only proceed with Lanxiang’s consent, and he tasked Li Zhen with the difficult job of persuading her. Li Zhen immediately agreed and was escorted to the Yan residence. At the manor, Li Zhen cleverly decorated Lanxiang’s face with flower petals to conceal her facial sores.
To ease Lanxiang's self-consciousness, Li Zhen shared a historical tale about an ancient imperial concubine who accidentally scarred her face on a crystal screen. Rather than diminishing her beauty, the scar charmed the emperor, prompting the women of the palace to mimic the look with cinnabar and rouge, a style later known as the "Slanted Red." Lanxiang was deeply touched by Li Zhen's sincerity and lack of flattery.
When Li Zhen offered to take her out for a walk to get some fresh air, she gladly accepted. Up on the mountain grasslands, Lanxiang felt a rare sense of liberation, noting that she had never felt this happy even back in the Capital. Li Zhen gently questioned why she had refused treatment since moving to Huizhou despite having actively sought medical help in the past.
She guessed that Lanxiang was holding back for the sake of her father, Lord Yan. Ever since his demotion, Lanxiang feared her chronic illness would become a burden or a weakness that others could exploit against him. She wanted her father to focus on his official duties, regain the emperor's favor, and return to the Capital without being held back by her.
Lanxiang admitted that Li Zhen had seen right through her, confirming that she had never shared these thoughts with her father to spare him useless grief. Li Zhen softly advised her that while physical ailments are easy to treat, the heart is the hardest thing to cure. If her heart remained guarded, she and her father would only continue to hurt each other in a painful stalemate.
She handed her a stick of the medicinal ink, telling her to seek her out whenever she was ready to make a choice. Back at the residence, Lanxiang recalled her father’s tearful confession about his deepest worry—that once he passed away, no one would be left to protect her.
Guided by his love and Li Zhen's words about healing the heart, she made up her mind to try the treatment and instructed her maid, Xiaoman, to invite Li Zhen to the residence the following day. After the treatment concluded, the day arrived to remove the bandages. Lord Yan and his daughter were incredibly anxious. Standing by the bed, Lord Yan and Li Zhen politely urged each other to do the honors of removing the bandages.
Growing impatient, Lanxiang pulled the cloth off herself. As her face was revealed, everyone gasped in amazement. Lanxiang’s face was completely healed, showing flawless, radiant skin. Overwhelmed with relief, father and daughter wept tears of joy, and Lord Yan praised the miraculous efficacy of the Nine-Treasure Ink while Lanxiang tearfully thanked Li Zhen. Sometime later, Li Zhen's mother brought her to pay respects at the grave of her late father, Li Jingfu.
Presenting her newly crafted medicinal ink, Li Zhen told her father’s spirit that she had successfully recreated his work. Her mother recalled how they first met, which prompted Li Zhen to ask about the "Matchmaker Herb" mentioned in his notes. Her mother explained that it was actually Red Phoenix Brocade Herb, which she had used to treat Li Jingfu's wounds when they met. Because it brought them together, he had poetically renamed it in his journal.
To honor their enduring love, Li Zhen announced that she would officially name her creation "Fu Jin Ink," combining characters from both of their names. Preparations for the grand opening of Xiao Li Ink Workshop were soon underway. Tian Ronghua visited the shop, hauling heavy gifts to support her friend. She brought an agate abacus, a custom-designed ledger, high-quality ejiao from Dong'e to keep Li Zhen healthy, and a locked wooden box to store earnings.
Looking at Li Zhen's thriving business, Ronghua wistfully expressed her desire to be as free to pursue her dreams, though she lamented that her father and brother would never allow it. Li Zhen gratefully accepted the gifts, jokingly calling her friend her personal goddess of wealth. Determined to secure investment for her business, Li Zhen presented a partnership agreement to Qi Jiu, offering him a share in Xiao Li Ink Workshop.
She calculated that they already had hundreds of orders lined up, meaning they would break even almost instantly. Qi Jiu was impressed by her business acumen but explained that she would have to meet someone else before he could invest the five hundred taels of silver. He brought her to Cuiqiao Cottage to meet Madam Wang. The influential businesswoman questioned why Li Zhen had chosen such a difficult, independent path instead of quietly relying on the established Li Ink.
Li Zhen countered by asking if Madam Wang had ever regretted making the very same choice in her youth. Admiring her quick wit, Madam Wang invited Li Zhen to help her appraise a selection of teas brought by various merchants. The merchants presented exquisite samples of West Lake Longjing, Dongting Shuiyue Tea, Junshan Silver Needle, and Pu'er. However, Li Zhen bypassed them all and chose a seemingly coarse Wild Tea from Houkeng.
Sourced directly from the nearby Houkeng village head, this wild tea offered a much higher profit margin. Furthermore, its natural orchid aroma could be greatly enhanced if the leaves were pressed into the shape of an orchid, significantly increasing its market value. Impressed by her vision, Madam Wang agreed to send the five hundred taels of silver to Li Zhen's workshop on Qi Jiu's behalf.
Once Li Zhen left, Madam Wang informed Qi Jiu that she had located Gao Kun, the key confidant of Magistrate Zhao Shen, hiding in Xu Village on Mount Jinlong. On the grand opening day of Xiao Li Ink Workshop, Lord Yan arrived in person, lending immense prestige to the event. He gladly wrote "Fu Jin Ink" in elegant calligraphy to celebrate the workshop's signature creation.
Soon after, the wealthy merchant Fan Sihai arrived on behalf of Qi Jiu to offer his congratulations. Seeing Lord Yan's endorsement, Fan Sihai immediately ordered one hundred sticks. Li Zhen boldly offered him a thirty percent discount on sixty of those sticks if he took forty of the current stock on the spot. Pleased by her sharp business sense, Fan Sihai ordered another fifty sticks, prompting other merchants to quickly snap up the remaining inventory.
Later, Li Zhen's mother handed her a beautifully textured Wuyuan inkstone, a supportive gift from her grandfather. Meanwhile, at Li Ink, Li Jingdong was drinking heavily, drowned in dejection. Jiangyue complained bitterly about Li Zhen's success and urged him to send thugs to destroy her workshop. Li Jingdong angrily refused, pointing out that Li Zhen had used her own recipe and resources without relying on the family.
He then revealed a stick of Fu Jin Ink that he had secretly purchased at three times the market price. With quiet despair, he admitted that despite making ink his entire life, he was utterly incapable of replicating such a masterpiece. Jiangyue warned him that his tolerance would only allow Li Zhen to eventually overshadow the main family, making them the laughingstock of Huizhou.
At the Tian household, Tian Huai'an and his sons were also complaining about Li Zhen’s growing influence. Just then, a letter arrived from the Capital, and Tian Huai'an rejoiced. He announced that he had secured a marriage for Tian Ronghua with the grandson of the influential Lord Xu. Though the young man was mentally disabled due to a childhood illness, Tian Huai'an saw the alliance as a golden opportunity to secure a powerful backer in the Capital.
Tian Ronghua protested fiercely, accusing her father of treating her like an object once again. Furious, Tian Huai'an declared that she had no choice and ordered his sons to keep her under close watch at home until they received further word from the Capital. In the meantime, Qi Jiu returned to his headquarters, bruised and battered but successful.
After applying some rouge medicinal ink to his wounds, his subordinate suggested visiting Li Zhen's newly opened shop, but Qi Jiu insisted that business came first. He immediately visited the Huizhou Prefect, Lord He, and presented him with ledgers detailing years of corruption, bribery, and oppression committed by Magistrate Zhao Shen. Lord He was hesitant, warning that such a major case required undeniable proof and that the ledgers alone could be dismissed as forgeries.
Qi Jiu reassured him, revealing that they had already captured Zhao Shen's closest confidant, Gao Kun. Shocked by his boldness, Lord He admonished Qi Jiu, reminding him that as a mere merchant, acting on behalf of the authorities was a severe transgression.
