Resumo do episódio 38 de The Heir
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Prefect Lord He presided over the high court to deliver the final sentences. Identifying Luo Wenqian (formerly Qi Jiu) as the son of the convicted traitor Luo Hanzhang, Lord He noted that he had assumed another identity to serve in General Qi’s army to escape exile. However, acknowledging his years of service in managing military provisions and his role in exposing the Tian family's illicit trade, Lord He mitigated his sentence to twenty years of hard labor in the southwest.
Luo Wenqian accepted his charges and proudly declared his real name. Next, Lord He sentenced Tian Bensheng and Tian Huai'an to ten years of hard labor in the northern territories for disrupting the ink industry and engaging in illicit trade. Tian Huai'an’s wife, though absent due to illness, received the same ten-year sentence for concealing her son's crimes, while Tian Ronghua was spared from punishment due to her innocence and cooperation.
Finally, the principal offender, Tian Benchang, was sentenced to death for his severe crimes of corruption, bribery, and driving civilians to their deaths. Before the sentencing could be finalized, Tian Benchang claimed he had more to say. Lord He dismissed his attempts, revealing that his powerful ally, Nanjing Garrison Commander Wu Ru, had already been arrested. However, Tian Benchang sneered, stating his words had to do with the true culprit of the Li family's Tribute Ink case thirteen years ago.
He taunted Li Zhen and Li Jingdong, reminding them of the misery and hatred they had carried for over a decade. He then exposed the shocking truth: thirteen years ago, after the Li family's Dadao Zizai pine soot ink defeated the Luo family's Ziji Longguang ink, Luo Hanzhang could not accept the defeat. He ordered Tian Huai'an to follow the Li family convoy to the capital and destroy their ink.
It was not Li Jingfu's drunken negligence that caused the fire; Tian Huai'an had drugged Li Jingfu's wine, slipped into the storage room, and set the Tribute Ink ablaze. This tragedy led to the arrest of the three Li brothers, resulting in Li Jingqi's death in prison, Li Jingdong's legs being broken, and Li Jingfu dying of grief and illness shortly after.
Hearing this, Luo Wenqian refused to believe his father could commit such an atrocity, while Tian Huai'an loudly claimed he was being framed. Yet, Tian Benchang mercilessly revealed that Tian Huai'an had been secretly paying three hundred taels of silver every year to a former employee who acted as his accomplice in the arson. Tian Benchang mocked Li Zhen and Luo Wenqian, laughing that their decades of resentment were just beginning and they would never be together.
Following this shocking revelation, Lord He ordered the Tians to be dragged back to prison to thoroughly investigate the matter. The truth soon emerged as both Tian Huai'an and his accomplice fully confessed to the crimes. A messenger from Lord He confirmed that Tian Benchang's testimony was accurate and that Luo Wenqian had no involvement in the arson, meaning his original sentence remained unchanged.
Realizing his decade-long hatred had been misplaced, a remorseful Li Jingdong led his family to bow and formally apologize to Eighth Master Li and the Eighth Branch for all the obstacles he had put in their way. Soon after, the family gathered at Li Jingfu's grave, pouring wine freely and loudly declaring to the heavens that Li Jingfu was not a sinner and had finally been vindicated.
Meanwhile, Wang Cuiqiao visited Luo Wenqian in prison with a food box of his favorite dishes and strong northern liquor. She assured him that she had arranged connections at his southwestern mining camp to look after him. When Luo Wenqian asked about Li Zhen, Wang Cuiqiao offered to bring her to see him, but he declined, feeling too deeply ashamed of his father's actions.
He knelt and bowed deeply to Wang Cuiqiao, expressing his profound gratitude for her sisterly care over the years. He begged her to watch over Li Zhen and his aunt during his exile, and to keep Jixiang safe under her guidance. Wang Cuiqiao promised she would remain in Huizhou for a few years to look after them.
Later, Wang Cuiqiao visited Li Zhen to inform her of Luo Wenqian's impending departure in three days, urging her not to live with regrets. In the city, the official decree was announced: Tian Benchang and Tian Huai'an were sentenced to execution in Nanjing.
Furthermore, the Directorate of Imperial Household issued an imperial decree stating that with the Tian family disgraced and their Tribute Ink privileges revoked, the Li family was officially chosen to temporarily assume the Tribute Ink contract until the next evaluation in four years. Though Li Zhen accepted the heavy responsibility, she remained deeply sorrowful.
Seeing her depressed state, Eighth Master Li comforted her, advising her that just as rainfall brings fresh water to help trapped fish find a way out, she must not trap herself in her own pain and find a path forward. On the day of Luo Wenqian's exile, Wang Cuiqiao, General Yu Dayong, and Jixiang gathered to bid him farewell.
Luo Wenqian paid his respects to General Yu and Wang Cuiqiao, thanking them for their shelter years ago, and urged Jixiang to listen to General Yu and Wang Cuiqiao, take good care of his aunt, and help the Li family if they ever needed it. Just as they were about to depart, Li Zhen ran to the scene to see him off. The two stood face to face, their hearts filled with complex emotions.
Luo Wenqian congratulated her on Li Ink's new contract and gently urged her to forget him and move forward without looking back. Li Zhen, holding back her tears, assured him that since he had survived the harsh north, the southwest would not break him either, and that he could finally live proudly under his real name. Wishing each other well, they bid their final farewell.
