The Heir

Сhарtеr Fifteen: Luzhоu Lоngbin

"Zhеn Niаng, аre you аlright?" Еveryоne breаthеd а sigh оf rеliеf when theу saw Zhen Niang catch thе inkstiсk.

"I'm fine. Вrothеr Run dоеsn't hаve muсh strеngth аnуwаy," Zhеn Niang said with a lаugh, thеn gavе Xi Ge'er а light smack in аnnoyаnсе—this kid wаs just tоо misсhievous.

Аt thаt momеnt, Аunt Jinhuа hurried оver, tооk Zhen Niang's hаnd tо eхamine it, and rеlaxed whеn shе sаw onlу a slight redness аnd nо sеrious hаrm. Shе thеn рullеd Вrothеr Run, whо was hiding bеhind her, аnd gave him а few раts оn the bоttоm аs рunishment.

Meаnwhile, Zhen Niang was studying thе inkstick in her hand. Аt first, she thought it wаs her fаmilу's Li ink, but upоn weighing it, she found it lighter than Li ink. The saying goes, "light glue, ten thousand pestle strikes"—Li ink was meticulously pounded and hammered, making it relatively heavy. This inkstick didn't seem to fit that description.

Upon further inspection, she noticed the inscription: "Luzhou Longbin." Now she understood—this was definitely not Li ink.

Moreover, the inkstick already showed fish-scale patterns, and its surface had developed a patina. Zhen Niang was certain that this inkstick was an antique.

Lost in thought, she began to ponder.

An antique inkstick? Luzhou Longbin... Zhen Niang thought to herself, then brought the inkstick to her nose and sniffed. There was a faint hint of lotus fragrance, so subtle that most people probably wouldn't notice it. However, Zhen Niang had been learning ink-making from her grandfather since she could walk in her previous life, so she was deeply familiar with the various ingredients used in ink. Thus, she could still detect the subtle scent.

Luzhou Longbin? Lotus fragrance? Combining these two clues, Zhen Niang couldn't help but think of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. There was a legend about Longxiang ink: it was said that when Emperor Xuanzong was still the Administrator of Luzhou, one night while writing, he saw a small black-robed Taoist priest appear on an inkstick on his desk, moving like a fly. The little priest addressed him directly as "Your Majesty."

When Emperor Xuanzong asked about his origins, the priest replied, "The essence of ink is Longbin."

This incident was quite mystical.

Later, after Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, he mixed lotus juice with ink. Remembering the Longbin incident, he named this ink "Longxiangji."

This was likely the origin of the name Longxiang ink.

Over time, as eras changed, the fragrance used in Longxiang ink shifted from lotus to borneol, musk, and other ingredients.

In other words, Longxiang ink from the Tang Dynasty used lotus as its fragrance.

Since this inkstick was inscribed "Luzhou Longbin," Zhen Niang suspected it might very well be Emperor Xuanzong's own Longxiang ink. Of course, it was hard to say whether it was truly made by Emperor Xuanzong himself, but she was certain it was Longxiang ink from the Tang Dynasty.

"Aunt Jinhua, this ink is a treasure. You should put it away safely and not let Brother Run ruin it," Zhen Niang said with a smile, handing the inkstick to Jinhua.

"This ink may be a treasure to others, but our family lacks everything except ink. Brother Run's father runs a tea shop in Suzhou, and with all the social interactions, our family's Li ink does have some reputation. So, I gathered some of the ink originally allotted to your Sixth Grandfather to send to Brother Run's father," Aunt Jinhua replied cheerfully, taking the inkstick.

She tucked the inkstick into a nearby bundle and began repacking it. Brother Run and Xi Ge'er were so mischievous that they had undone the bundle she had previously organized, leaving it in a mess."Aunt Jinhua, this ink isn't something our family made ourselves. It's an ancient ink stick from the Tang dynasty—you could say it's worth a fortune. Wouldn't it be a shame to give it away as a gift?" Zhen Niang quickly explained, knowing Aunt Jinhua didn't recognize its value and wanting to remind her.

"What did you say? This ink is from the Tang dynasty?" Sixth Grandfather on the side widened his eyes, snatched the ink from Jinhua's bundle, and examined it in his hand. Unfortunately, he had never been interested in ink-making and had never studied it, so he wasn't entirely sure. However, Old Eighth was extremely knowledgeable about ink-making, though it was unclear how much Zhen Niang had learned from him. So he pressed her anxiously.

"Yes, this ink uses lotus as its fragrance, which is characteristic of Tang dynasty Longxiang ink. Also, look at the inscription—it says 'Luzhou Longbin.' Back when Emperor Xuanzong of Tang served as the Deputy Governor of Luzhou, the name Longxiang ink originated from the essence of ink called Longbin. Using this inscription suggests this ink might have been personally made by the Tang emperor. Of course, I can't say for sure, but if it really is, then this ink stick is truly priceless." Zhen Niang spoke, then added with a playful smile, "Sixth Grandfather, you'd better keep it safe. Who knows, it might become a family heirloom someday."

Upon hearing this, Sixth Master Li was so startled that he immediately clutched the ink stick tightly, his face tense with concern. But he said dismissively, "You're just teasing me, girl, spinning tales as big as the sky. I don't believe it. I'll go find your Ninth Uncle tomorrow to have a look."

As he spoke, he turned to Li Jinhua and said, "Daughter, sort out all the ink sticks. Don't rush to send them to Suzhou. I'll take them to the Ink Workshop tomorrow to have someone examine them. If they're really worth a fortune, we can't just give them away as gifts."

"Alright, I'll sort them all out," Li Jinhua quickly nodded in agreement.

"Oh, sister-in-law, you should keep a few sticks. The Su family master in Suzhou is celebrating his birthday, and my brother promised Second Sister-in-law he'd send a few Li Mo ink sticks. Otherwise, Second Sister-in-law will make a scene with my brother."

At this moment, Wang Erzi, seeing Li Jinhua taking all the ink sticks out of the bundle, spoke up anxiously.

"What do you mean, Second Sister-in-law? Who is this Second Sister-in-law? Did Uncle-in-law marry another woman in Suzhou?" Zhen Niang was amused by Wang Erzi's words. This was like a pillow appearing just as she was about to fall asleep. She had been thinking of writing to her father to investigate Uncle-in-law's affairs in Suzhou, and now Wang Erzi had inadvertently spilled the beans.

Master Su? Second Sister-in-law? No doubt about it—the person Wang Erzi mentioned was the secret second wife Uncle-in-law had taken in Suzhou.

Of course, Zhen Niang understood perfectly well, but on the surface, she pretended to be confused, asking if Uncle-in-law had married again, hoping to alert Sixth Grandfather and Aunt Jinhua.

"Well, Erzi, explain what's going on. Who is this Second Sister-in-law?" Sixth Master Li glared at Wang Erzi with a dark expression.

Beside him, Aunt Jinhua also stared blankly at Wang Erzi.

Wang Erzi's face flashed with panic. He swallowed hard before saying, "Master, sister-in-law, Miss Zhen, you've misunderstood. Second Sister-in-law is the wife of the second shopkeeper. Everyone in the shop calls her Second Sister-in-law. Master Su is Second Sister-in-law's father. My brother often says that running a tea shop in Suzhou relies heavily on the second shopkeeper's help. So, for Master Su's birthday celebration, my brother promised to send a few Li Mo ink sticks, mainly to appease the second shopkeeper and Second Sister-in-law."Wang Erzi's explanation was indeed reasonable and logical, but unfortunately, the panic in his eyes gave off a guilty conscience.

Aunt Jinhua might not have noticed it. Hearing Wang Erzi's explanation, she breathed a sigh of relief and repeatedly said, "That should be the case."

But Sixth Master Li had lived to this age—what could he not see through?

Seeing Sixth Grandfather's expression, Zhen Niang knew he had already grown suspicious. The next step would be verification. If Aunt Jinhua's husband had indeed taken a second wife, it would be impossible to hide.

"I think we shouldn't take the ink from the house. It's all left by our ancestors and shouldn't be given away casually. Jinhua, you go into the city with Zhen Niang later and get a few pieces of ink from the Ink Workshop to send to Brother Run's father," Sixth Master Li instructed.

"Alright, Father," Aunt Jinhua replied.

Wang Erzi also breathed a sigh of relief, secretly wiping sweat from his forehead. He didn't care about the ink—as long as some was sent, his task would be completed.

Afterward, the group chatted idly, but each seemed somewhat distracted.

Just then, Changgen returned with people who had scraped the lacquer—a wooden bucket of raw lacquer, enough for Zhen Niang's use.

Later, Jinhua and Zhen Niang went into the city together, then split up. Jinhua went to the Ink Workshop to get the ink, while Zhen Niang and Xi Ge'er took the raw lacquer and bamboo trays home.