Resumo do episódio 34 de The Heir
> Resumos de The Heir
Li Zhen and Qi Jiu visited the pine forest they had planted together. Seeing the young saplings thriving, Li Zhen happily looked forward to their future, imagining a time when they would grow old together under the tall trees. Qi Jiu, however, was weighed down by a dark premonition. Having survived many bloody battles on the battlefield without anyone to claim his body, he confessed that meeting her had changed him, making death a difficult fate to face.
He asked that if anything should happen to him, she bury him beneath their shared pine trees. Alarmed, Li Zhen brushed off his depressing jokes, insisting they had a long life of dreams to fulfill, including expanding their ink business and seeing the ocean. Not wanting to ruin her joy, Qi Jiu forced a smile and claimed he was only teasing.
Meanwhile, Jixiang tracked Tian Bensheng to a locked, secluded courtyard that smelled strongly of ink and showed fresh carriage tracks, confirming it was the Tian family's secret contraband ink workshop. After hearing the report, Qi Jiu decided to investigate the place under the cover of night to catch the Tians red-handed.
Before departing, he handed a box to his sister, Wang Cuiqiao, containing a severance agreement that completely cut all financial and partnership ties between his shop, Yihousheng, and Li Ink, ensuring the Li family would remain safe from implication if he failed. At the same time, Tian Benchang received a letter from the Defender of Nanjing, confirming they had located witnesses from Liaodong and a schoolmate from the Capital who could identify Qi Jiu as the wanted fugitive Luo Wenqian.
When Tian Bensheng admitted to visiting the secret workshop to check on progress, Benchang was furious. Realizing his brother's foolishness had likely exposed the secret site, Benchang immediately ordered his men to gather and clear out all the contraband ink and equipment that very night. At Li Ink, Steward Shao returned with the monthly dividends, puzzled to find Yihousheng suddenly shuttered. Li Zhen grew deeply concerned. Soon after, Ugly Granny Li heard of Qi Jiu's sudden disappearance.
Rushing to Yihousheng, she ran into Jixiang and recognized him. Realizing that Qi Jiu was indeed her long-lost nephew, Luo Wenqian, she went straight to Li Zhen. Dropping to her knees, she begged Li Zhen to save him, revealing her true identity as Luo Mengzhen. With Eighth Master Li present, she explained how she had survived the devastating fire years ago.
Left for dead in a mass grave, she had been rescued by her dear friend, Wang Rujun, who nursed her back to health and hid her within the Li family—a secret kept safe for years by Sun Wanyi, who strictly followed her mother-in-law's instructions to remain silent. That night, Luo Wenqian infiltrated the secret ink workshop, only to be ambushed by Tian Benchang's hired men. Though he fought bravely, he was outnumbered.
Tian Benchang soon arrived with his ally, Officer Zhang. When Luo Wenqian pointed to the workshop as evidence of the Tians' illicit foreign trade, Officer Zhang ignored his pleas and arrested him as the wanted fugitive. Upon learning of the arrest, Li Zhen and Jixiang hurried to the military camp to beg General Yu for help. However, General Yu explained that his hands were tied.
Luo Wenqian had already prepared for the worst and took all responsibility to protect the military. Furthermore, Tian Benchang was backed by the Nanjing Defender, Wu Ru, a bitter political rival of Marshal Qi. If the military intervened, Wu Ru would use it to destroy Marshal Qi. Wang Cuiqiao delivered the severance papers to Li Zhen, urging her to focus on protecting the Li family instead.
Refusing to give up, Li Zhen walked back, her mind filled with memories of her time with Luo Wenqian. Soon, Officer Zhang and his men raided the Li family residence, attempting to arrest them for harboring a fugitive. Li Zhen stood her ground. She presented the severance document, proving that Qi Jiu had withdrawn from Li Ink a month prior, and challenged the officers to obtain a formal warrant from the Prefect if they wished to inspect their spotless books.
She threatened to sue Officer Zhang for abuse of power if he proceeded without authorization. Confronted by her fierce resolve, Officer Zhang backed down. Outside, Li Zhen spotted Tian Benchang lingering in the shadows and boldly warned him that they would see who would have the last laugh. Inside, Li Zhen gathered the Li family to discuss their next steps.
She declared that they must protect Luo Mengzhen and keep her identity hidden, while also organizing their accounts to ensure the Tians could find no weaknesses. Rather than waiting for ruin, she proposed to continue Luo Wenqian's investigation into the Tians' illicit foreign trade to bring them down. The entire family, led by Eighth Master Li, warmly voiced their support. Li Zhen later visited Luo Wenqian in prison.
She comforted him and presented a plate of scale-pipe candy (Chengguan candy), a childhood favorite sent by his aunt, Luo Mengzhen. Touched, Luo Wenqian promised not to give up. He shared vital clues with her, noting that the contraband ink likely bore unique markings. He suggested she work with Xiao Qi to check suspicious workshops and seek Wang Cuiqiao's help to track down unrecorded, freelance ink-makers in Huizhou.
