The Heir

Chaрtеr 123: The Тian Familу’s Меss аnd thе Gе Family’s Grаnd Drama

Although Old Mаstеr Chеng regrеttеd nоt listеning to Zhеn Niаng’s аdviсе and аcting a steр tоo slоwly, the Zhu familу truly intendеd to withdraw frоm Nаnjing. Аftеr аll, whilе Zhu ink hаd been suррortеd bу thе Li familу’s liquid ink, and nоw with thе Tian fаmilу’s liquid ink incidеnt, Zhu ink might be able tо hold on a littlе lоngеr, Zhu Gui had thоught it through cleаrlу during this рeriоd: rеlуing sоlеlу on liquid ink wаs nоt enоugh to sustаin Zhu ink’s develоpmеnt in Nаnjing. Sеlling the Nаnjing ink mаnоr аnd returning to their hоmetown to develоp, like the Wеi family, wаs inevitаblе. Thеrefore, the Zhu and Cheng families now haggled over the price, each with their own limits. Soon, the two families reached an agreement, and the Cheng family smoothly took over the Zhu Ink Manor.

For this, the Cheng family paid twenty percent more than originally planned, but it was still within an acceptable range.

Let’s set aside the transaction between the Zhu and Cheng families for now.

Meanwhile, the Tian family’s troubles were growing bigger and bigger.

At first, it was only the issue of the liquid ink turning foul, but soon, even their ordinary ink began to have problems—cracking. This was mainly due to the price war the Tian family had waged earlier, driving the price of ordinary ink very low. Naturally, the Tian family didn’t want to operate at a loss, so they began cutting corners on the production of ordinary ink sticks. Especially with the glue, the quality of the materials used was much poorer. Coupled with the dry climate since the start of summer, large quantities of ordinary ink began to crack.

As a result, the Ink Affairs Bureau was even alerted and had already sent word to the Tian family, demanding a thorough investigation into the quality of Tian ink.

Now, the Tian family was in a state of utter chaos.

Tian Ink Manor.

“Where is that bastard Zeng? I told you to find him!” Tian Er hadn’t slept for days. His eyes were bloodshot, his face covered in stubble, and he looked like a madman. He was filled with resentment, but faced with the Tian family’s current situation, he had no solution at all. Now, he just wanted to vent his anger, and that anger was naturally directed at Zeng Yipin. If he could find Zeng Yipin, even a thousand cuts wouldn’t be enough to satisfy his hatred.

“Second Brother, stop shouting. Zeng Yipin and his family have long disappeared without a trace,” Tian Ronghua said from the side, rubbing her temples with an expression of frustration. She was anxious too, but anxiety wasn’t the solution now—they needed to find a way to resolve the situation.

“I knew it! I knew it! It was that bastard Zeng and that wretched girl from the Li family conspiring to trick me. I’m going to sue them! Third Sister, have Mr. Fang deliver a message. I want to invite Magistrate He’s advisor from the Yingtian Prefecture to dinner. I’ll also go to the Ink Affairs Bureau to appeal to the officials. It’s all the Li family’s schemes and tricks! Our Tian family was just caught in their trap. We’ve been wronged!” Tian Er seemed to have suddenly grasped at a lifeline. Yes, it must all be the Li family’s doing. All these incidents were orchestrated by that wretched girl Li Zhenniang.

“Second Brother, what are you still stirring up at a time like this? Of course, everyone knows it’s the Li family’s doing. But even if we know it’s the Li family’s doing, what can we do? We walked right into their trap. Our problem now is to quickly resolve the issue of returns and restore our reputation. If these problems aren’t solved, the Tian family’s ink manor in Nanjing will truly be finished. And what if this affects the tribute ink? How will we explain it to Big Brother then? We’ll become the sinners of the Tian family!” Tian Ronghua said angrily. Her second brother was still so troublesome, not understanding the gravity of the situation even now.I originally thought Second Brother had improved, but now that trouble has arisen, instead of thinking about how to solve the problem, he’s still trying to shift the blame. Can he really shift it away?

"Return the goods? Why bother with them? Did I hold a knife to their throats to make them sign back then? They were greedy for cheap deals—if they wanted to take advantage, they should’ve been prepared for trouble. Just ignore them." Tian Er replied fiercely, then turned to Steward Fang beside him. "Steward Fang, tell those who want to return goods that our Tian family isn’t like the Li family, where they can sign or return as they please. Let them know that if they insist on returning, they can forget about ever getting our Tian family’s Tribute Ink again." Tian Er said, his face also showing annoyance. "This is so irritating. I’m going out for a drink."

With that, Tian Er actually pocketed some silver and left with Tian Si’er. No need to say more—he was surely heading straight for the brothels along the Qinhuai River again. This guy was completely avoiding the problem.

"Third Young Miss, this… this won’t do… If we follow Second Young Master’s approach, our Tian family’s business will suffer in the future. It’s hard to go against public anger." Watching Second Young Master Tian leave, Steward Fang spoke anxiously to Tian Ronghua.

If things were really handled as Second Young Master suggested, the Tian family probably wouldn’t be able to stay in Nanjing much longer.

"Don’t mind my second brother anymore, Steward Fang. Give me some advice—how should we handle this aftermath?" Tian Ronghua asked Steward Fang with a worried expression.

"First, we need to appease the merchants returning goods. After all, we still have Tribute Ink in hand. If we explain things properly, it shouldn’t be too difficult. Second is the issue of funds. Recently, we’ve used a large amount of the funds loaned from Sifang Bank to produce Liquid Ink. Now that the Liquid Ink is useless, the bank will likely pressure us to repay the money. We must notify the Eldest Young Master immediately. The situation in Nanjing needs him to take charge, and he’ll also have to explain things to the Ink Affairs Bureau." Steward Fang said.

"Of course, Eldest Brother must be notified. However, it will take him some time to get here. Distant water can’t quench a nearby fire. For now, find someone to smooth things over with the Ink Affairs Bureau. Ask them to wait a while until my eldest brother arrives to explain. As for the merchants returning goods, if they want to return, let them. Whatever Li Zhenniang can do, I can do too." Tian Ronghua said through gritted teeth.

"But Third Young Miss, there isn’t much left in the accounts. Most of the funds were invested in Liquid Ink, and it’s all been lost." Steward Fang said hesitantly.

"I’ll figure out the funding issue." Tian Ronghua replied, her gaze drifting slightly.

…

The Tian family’s troubles were snowballing, growing larger and larger. Zhen Niang and Cheng San Yeye had also discussed it privately, speculating that Tian Benchang would likely have to come clean up this mess.

Of course, Zhen Niang wasn’t overly thrilled about the Tian family’s current predicament. While it might not matter much back in Huizhou, fighting like this in Nanjing would only make the Huizhou Merchants a laughingstock in front of the Shanxi merchants and others.

All in all, it wasn’t something to celebrate too much. Of course, Zhen Niang wasn’t naive enough to sympathize with the Tian family either. In the end, Tian Er had brought this upon himself—the cause of yesterday, the consequence of today, with no room for escape.

Zhen Niang stopped paying much attention to the Tian family’s affairs.Yet Zhen Niang remained focused on the development of her family's Ink Manor. After the recent Ink Incident, the Nanjing Ink Industry had undergone another reshuffle. Zhu ink was out, Cheng ink was in. Meanwhile, Li Family Ink had swept away its previous decline, and with Tian ink now facing trouble, the Li family was gaining momentum to become the leader of Nanjing's ink industry.

Of course, this was merely momentum, far from becoming a reality. After all, the Tian family was only in a temporary slump. With Tribute Ink in their hands, as long as they stabilized the situation, the Li family still couldn't compete with them.

Truthfully, Zhen Niang had no intention of competing with the Tian family. If Tian Er hadn't pushed them too far, things wouldn't have escalated to this point. Ultimately, the Li family would stick to their own path and develop step by step.

Thus, Zhen Niang kept a clear head. With Tian ink now facing problems, it was the perfect time for the Li family to launch several new inks, promote Li Mo, and build its reputation. That was the right way forward.

So, while the Tian family's troubles stirred up a commotion outside, Zhen Niang buried herself in the Ink Workshop, studying the tile-shaped Yu Mi ink and the large Yu Mi ink, aiming to restore the ancient method of making Yu Mi ink.

Of course, this restoration wasn't just about reviving the old method—it also involved refining and improving it. For example, while Yu Mi ink was as hard as jade and its color was extremely black, it lacked brightness and transparency, appearing too dull and lifeless. This was the flaw of Yu Mi ink.

Therefore, improving the clarity and transparency of the ink color was essential.

Naturally, Zhen Niang's restoration of ancient Yu Mi ink was also because it served as an excellent gimmick—in modern terms, it attracted attention and had strong advertising appeal, which would help Li Mo gain fame.

When Zhen Niang immersed herself in ink research, she truly forgot to eat and sleep.

"Zhen Niang, it's already midnight. Pack up and rest. Researching ink isn't something that can be done in a day or two. Staying up late like this every night isn't good for you." At night, Huang Shi entered the Ink Workshop holding an oil lamp and saw Zhen Niang still engaged in smoke generation, so she couldn't help but speak up.

This time, Zhen Niang wasn't producing lampblack smoke but pine soot, specifically from pine trees in Shaanxi. She had set up a simple pine soot kiln using a large vat. To improve the clarity of the large Yu Mi ink, she first needed to study its soot material.

During her research, Zhen Niang made another discovery: the quality of pine from Shaanxi was far inferior to that of Huangshan pine. The soot she had produced earlier not only lacked clarity but also failed to achieve the blackness exhibited by Yu Mi ink. This was the challenge she currently faced. She had studied the tile-shaped Yu Mi ink and found that its soot material was made from Shaanxi pine soot, combined with ox horn glue and a few other ordinary additives. None of these ingredients were darkening agents, so where did the blackness of ancient Yu Mi ink come from?

"Aunt, I'll be done soon." Zhen Niang looked up after pondering for a while.

"Alright, I'll wait for you. Finish within two quarters of an hour and go back to rest." Huang Shi knew Zhen Niang's temperament—if she didn't keep an eye on her, Zhen Niang might research through the entire night.

"Aunt..." Zhen Niang scratched her head. There was no way she could solve it within two quarters of an hour.

Huang Shi rarely glared, so Zhen Niang could only chuckle and say, "Alright, alright, two quarters it is." She then hurriedly focused on the soot burning in the vat.

Just then, a commotion erupted from the street outside, followed by Ge Qiu Jie's sharp voice: "Catch him! Don't let him get away!"What's going on? What's all this commotion in the middle of the night? Zhen Niang and Huang Shi exchanged glances. They both left the smoke room and went to the outer area.

Since Zhen Niang hadn't rested, several workers in the ink workshop were also still up. Zheng Fuli and Er Gou were among them, staring each other down in the outer area. The two had disliked each other ever since their days at the Huizhou Ink Workshop.

Mainly, Zheng Fuli couldn't stand Er Gou's gossipy mouth and rogue-like demeanor, while Er Gou looked down on Zheng Fuli's hypocritical propriety. Their feud had started in childhood, but over the years, despite their constant bickering, neither had managed to get the better of the other.

Now, hearing the noise outside, Er Gou, feeling particularly uncomfortable under Zheng Fuli's gaze, immediately turned to Huang Shi and Zhen Niang and said, "Second Madam, Miss Zhen, I'll go take a look." With that, he dashed out.

He returned shortly, entering the ink workshop with a gleeful expression.

"Haha, these past few days, Ge Qiu Jie has been busy buying raw silk. Her stepmother, Cao Shi, has been minding the raw silk shop. That scoundrel Ge Dana, with a lovely wife at home, chose to go carousing in the brothels instead. Cao Shi, unable to bear the loneliness, hooked up with Huang Lang. Somehow, word got to Ge Qiu Jie's ears. Tonight, she deliberately set up a stakeout to catch them in the act, but Huang Lang still managed to escape. Haha, the Ge family is in for quite a show!" Er Gou gloated.

"Bah! You scoundrel, how dare you bring such vulgar matters before Second Madam and Miss Zhen? Aren't you afraid of sullying their ears? Later, I'll have Chou Po teach you a lesson!" Ma Sao, who had just arrived, was amused by Er Gou's story but still scolded him sternly.

Second Madam was a widow, and Miss Zhen was an unmarried young lady. Even if such matters were to be mentioned, they should only be hinted at, not described so crudely.

Huang Shi waved her hand, indicating it wasn't a big deal. As for Zhen Niang, she was no delicate young miss. Having grown up near the city gate, she had seen and heard plenty of such things and didn't mind. Instead, she thought about the Ge family. If Huang Lang had been caught red-handed, it might have been simpler. But since he wasn't, there could be trouble ahead.

Of course, this was just a vague feeling, not yet clear.

"Ah, my smoke!" Zhen Niang suddenly remembered the smoke still burning in the smoke room. It must be overdone by now. She hurriedly turned back to the smoke room to check the fire. Pinching a bit of soot between her fingers and rubbing it, she confirmed the smoke was indeed overdone, with a heavy burnt smell. But...

Looking at the color of the soot in her hand, she noticed it was much blacker than the smoke produced under the right conditions. Could it be that the ancient Yumi ink used overdone smoke?