Resumo do episódio 22 de The Heir
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The prestigious Tribute Ink selection finally commenced in Huizhou. In an effort to secure his stakes and ensure the necessary military funds for Marshal Qi, Qi Jiu had previously arranged for Wang Cuiqiao to invest in Chen Ink. Outside the venue, Qi Jiu ran into Li Zhengshen and urged him to disregard his hesitation and enter to support his father, Li Jingdong.
As the primary rounds concluded, the Chen family's Scholar Ink, the Li family's ancient lacquer-soot ink, and the Tian family's Ziji Dragon Light Ink advanced to the highly anticipated finals. For the final showdown, the three competitors presented their finest creations: the Chen family offered their Lingyun Ink, the Li family presented their newly named Yiyuan Ink, and the Tian family put forward their Jin Zhangzong Scented Ink. The expert examiners meticulously analyzed each entry.
The Chen family's Lingyun Ink was highly praised for its clean, layered gray tones and sharp clarity, while the Tian family's scented ink won acclaim for its deep, rich tone and calming, non-overbearing aroma. However, when it came to the Li family's Yiyuan Ink, the examiners noted that while it was a fine piece of work, it did not fully showcase the unique qualities of pine soot and fell slightly behind its rivals.
Consequently, Tian Ink and Chen Ink were both awarded the prestigious "supreme grade," while Li's Yiyuan Ink was rated as "grade one." Li Jingdong accepted the fair judgment with grace. Following the competition, the Li family gathered outside their ancestral hall to honor their grade-one ink. Li Jingdong, overcome with shame, knelt before his family and apologized for what he perceived as a failure that let down both his ancestors and his late father.
However, Li Zhen and his grandfather comforted him, pointing out that securing a grade-one rating on a first attempt was an outstanding achievement far exceeding previous generations' initial trials. Li Zhen addressed the clan, explaining that she named the creation "Yiyuan Ink" because the word "Yuan" symbolized a new beginning rising from an end.
She reminded everyone of the tragedy from thirteen years ago but declared that this ink would serve to heal their shared wounds and unite them in restoring Li Ink to its former glory. Back at the selection venue, the competition for the ultimate Tribute Ink title reached a deadlock. The examiners were deeply divided, with some favoring the invaluable scent of the Tian family's ink and others championing the superior maturity of the Chen family's entry.
Just as Lord Yan was on the verge of announcing a decision, the royal preceptor, Sage Qing He, arrived at the venue, accompanied by Tian Ronghua. Eager to curry favor with the influential sage in hopes of securing a return to the Capital, Lord Yan immediately invited him to judge the contest. Sage Qing He showed little interest in a rigorous evaluation. Spotting a fly resting on the Chen family's entry, he dismissed it as unclean.
After smelling the Styrax resin in the Tian family's ink, he confidently declared that the Emperor would find it to his liking and designated Tian Ink as the official Tribute Ink. Despite the desperate pleas of Master Chen and his supporters, Lord Yan quickly rubber-stamped the Sage's decision. Deeply devastated by the unjust outcome, Master Chen nearly collapsed as he left the venue, while a frustrated Qi Jiu walked away in silence.
With the victory secured, the Tian family basked in triumph, proudly hanging their "Champion of Ink" plaque. Tian Huai'an was ecstatic and ordered a grand vegetarian banquet to celebrate with Lord Yan and Sage Qing He. Tian Ronghua, whose connections had secured the victory, was treated with the utmost respect by her family. During their private moments, Ronghua warned her brother, Tian Benchang, to focus strictly on the craft and secure the family's foundation rather than relying on tricks.
At the banquet, Sage Qing He enjoyed the hospitality and praised the local officials, promising Lord Yan that he would speak highly of him to the Emperor. When discussing who should deliver the ink to the Capital, the Sage insisted that Ronghua was the most suitable candidate. Later, when Tian Benchang attempted to present the Sage with a valuable gift, the Sage rejected it as vulgar.
He then mentioned a troubling divination indicating a lack of the Wood element, noting that the ideal ink for sacred rituals should be premium pine soot ink made from century-old pine. However, Tian Benchang explained that a devastating outbreak of pine wilt disease had ravaged Huizhou, making even ordinary pine wood nearly impossible to find.
To appease the disappointed Sage, Ronghua offered to accompany him on an excursion to Mount Qiyun to visit an ancient, golden ginkgo tree, a gesture that delighted the Sage. Meanwhile, Qi Jiu's plans had crumbled completely. Having failed to secure the required military funds, he was stripped of both his military rank and his position at Yihousheng.
Despondent over his inability to avenge his family while the Tian family grew more powerful, he met with Wang Cuiqiao to hand over his remaining assets, investments, and contracts. He instructed her to keep Li Zhen out of his troubles to protect her from danger. Concerned for his well-being, Wang Cuiqiao ignored his request and informed Li Zhen.
Li Zhen found a dejected Qi Jiu by the river and offered him words of encouragement, sharing her own experiences of overcoming setbacks and rising from adversity. She then brought him back to her home, where Qi Jiu was welcomed to a warm family dinner. The bustling, affectionate atmosphere of the Li household deeply touched him, reminding him of his lost family. Seeking to forget his sorrows, Qi Jiu drank heavily and ended up staying the night.
The following morning, an embarrassed Qi Jiu woke up and sheepishly informed Li Zhen that he was transitioning from an investor to a laborer, ready to work at the Li Ink workshop. The reality of rebuilding the fire-damaged Li Ink workshop soon brought new challenges. With no incoming profits and a lack of funds to hire external labor, the reconstruction was projected to take six months, a delay that would ruin their relationships with regular clients.
To speed up the process, Li Zhen and Li Jingdong proposed mortgaging the family farmlands and properties to raise immediate cash. This proposal met with fierce resistance from Jiangyue, who accused Li Zhen of exploiting the family's misfortunes to systematically drain their wealth. Despite Jiangyue's vocal opposition and warnings about putting the household's daily survival at risk, Sun Wanyi threw her support behind Li Zhen's plan, ultimately finalizing the decision to proceed with the mortgage to save the workshop.
