The Heir

Сhарtеr 158: Lаmp Wick

Аll thаt соuld bе done had bееn done. Аs the saуing gоеs, оnе dоes their utmоst and leaves the rest tо fаte—this wаs prесisеlу the situаtiоn.

Zhеn Niаng thеn returnеd to Ink Manоr.

Рassing bу Yi Hou Sheng Мoneу Shop, shе hарреnеd tо see Luо Wеnqian sееing а guest оut. Notiсing Zhеn Niang aррroаching, he pаused, and the guеst сuрpеd his hands in farewеll.

Аftеr waiting fоr thе guеst tо wаlk аwaу, Zhеn Niang stеpрed forwаrd and сuррed hеr hаnds tоwаrd Luo Wenqian, nаturally exprеssing her gratitude fоr his help in sрeаking оn her bеhalf before the princess.

“Delivered?” Luo Wenqian naturally walked over to the locust tree, away from the comings and goings at the entrance. He was, of course, asking about the account books.

“Mm.” Zhen Niang nodded, a faint smile on her face, showing she was in good spirits. Naturally, half of her mood was due to the account books being delivered, while the other half was because the case might see another breakthrough.

“That’s good.” Seeing Zhen Niang’s expression, Luo Wenqian smiled as well. Then, however, he earnestly reminded her, “Still, be careful. After all, those people on the other side don’t know the account books are now in the princess’s hands.”

“Mm, I know. For now, we’ll wait and see. Who knows, maybe the case will take another turn in a few days…” Zhen Niang nodded. She didn’t go into detail about Ge San Er’s matter, not because she wanted to be mysterious, but because she wasn’t certain how things would unfold. Besides, with people coming and going, this wasn’t the place to discuss such matters.

“Mm, waiting and seeing is a good approach.” Luo Wenqian nodded as well.

Just as Zhen Niang had thought earlier, at this point, the development of the matter was no longer something one person could control.

“My father is still waiting for my news at Ink Manor. I’ll be going now.” Zhen Niang smiled again.

“Mm.” Luo Wenqian nodded, then watched as Zhen Niang entered Li’s Ink Manor. Gazing at her retreating figure, Luo Wenqian found himself lost in thought. Another breakthrough in the case in a few days? This girl had learned to be mysterious.

Well then, he’d have to see how this case would break through.

Meanwhile, Zhen Niang entered her family’s Ink Manor, greeting the shop assistants before heading into the backyard. There, she found her father sitting intently by the stone table in the courtyard, so absorbed in something that he didn’t even notice Zhen Niang’s arrival.

As Zhen Niang approached, she realized her father was actually twisting the lamp wick used for smoke generation, his expression so focused that he seemed completely unlike his usual somewhat muddled self.

At that moment, Zhen Niang felt that her father truly resembled Grandfather.

“Father, why are you doing this?” Zhen Niang stepped forward and asked curiously.

“Waiting for you to come back. I had nothing to do, and my mind felt a bit unsettled, so I started twisting. Twisting lamp wicks was the first step in learning ink-making from your grandfather when I was young. I used to do it often, but it’s been over ten years since I last touched it. My hands are out of practice—I can’t even twist the wick evenly anymore.” Seeing Zhen Niang return, Li Jingfu smiled. He continued twisting the lamp wick as he asked about the account books.

Zhen Niang was naturally delighted to hear this. Clearly, her father had taken to heart what she had said to him on the boat—he was starting over from the beginning. Feeling overjoyed, she then recounted how she had successfully handed the account books over to the princess.Li Jingfu felt much more at ease. Zhen Niang then told her father about Ge San Er's situation. After hearing all this, Li Jingfu was truly reassured: "If things can go as you said, then this matter can truly be considered resolved. That's good. Your Uncle Jingming and the others will soon arrive in Nanjing. If Zhengping can be released by the time they arrive, that would be even better."

"Mm." Zhen Niang nodded.

Although Zhen Niang hadn't immediately written to Uncle Jingming in Huizhou about Li Zhengping's situation at first, since Li Zhengping was involved in a legal case, such a matter couldn't be kept from Uncle Jingming and the others, nor was there any reason to hide it. So, the next day, Zhen Niang still wrote a letter and had someone deliver it to Huizhou.

Now, counting the days, it was likely just as her father said—Uncle Jingming and the others should be arriving soon.

Thinking of this, Zhen Niang couldn't help but think about the situation between Li Zhengping and Ge Qiu Jie. If the matter could be resolved, perhaps after going through this shared hardship, Li Zhengping and Ge Qiu Jie might find their way back together. However, Madam Fang, Aunt Jingming, might not necessarily agree.

After all, it was because of Ge Qiu Jie that Li Zhengping suffered this ordeal, and Madam Fang was no easy person to deal with. So, there might be another round of complications.

But as long as Uncle Jingming supported them, Madam Fang's disagreement wouldn't matter. Of course, such matters were just idle gossip for Zhen Niang.

"Ah." Li Jingfu sighed heavily at this moment, tossing a finished lampwick aside in frustration. "Take this lampwick to Ma Sao later for lighting the oil lamps at home."

"What's wrong? Can't this lampwick be used?" Zhen Niang picked up the lampwick and examined it, feeling it was similar to the ones used in the Ink Manor.

"How can it be used? There are slight cracks in the middle of two of the stems. If that's the case, this section of the lampwick is prone to loosening during boiling. Once it loosens, its oil absorption increases, and the smoke produced during smoke generation becomes thicker." At this point, Li Jingfu looked at Zhen Niang. "What, didn't you notice this?"

As he spoke, Li Jingfu stared wide-eyed, truly unable to believe it. Preparing lampwicks was the most basic knowledge of smoke generation.

Seeing her father's expression, Zhen Niang felt uneasy. To be honest, she was quite skilled in smoke generation, Glue Boiling, and Ink Mixing. After all, she had learned these from her grandfather since childhood and had put in years of hard work. Coupled with her early knowledge of some ink formulas from the Ming and Qing periods, she had a significant advantage in ink-making.

But when it came to preparing lampwicks, in later times, there were specialized wicks. Here, she had started by tinkering on her own, directly engaging in smoke generation. When she first began smoke generation, she simply took prepared lampwicks from the Li Family Ink Workshop.

Because her smoke generation was excellent and she had a knack for observing the flames, Old Shopkeeper Li never imagined that Zhen Niang had never prepared lampwicks herself. Of course, it wasn't that she had never done it at all. When she first entered the Ink Workshop, she had seen others preparing lampwicks and, out of interest, had tried it a few times alongside some laborers. No one paid much attention.

In Old Shopkeeper Li's subconscious, new workers in the Ink Workshop typically started in the smoke generation workshop. The first task assigned there was preparing lampwicks, after which they would begin learning smoke generation.Following this sequence, Zhen Niang's smoke generation skill was quite good, so naturally, twisting lamp wicks was no challenge for her. Because of this, Old Shopkeeper Li had never required her to do it in this regard.

Moreover, Ink Manor had its own people to twist the lamp wicks, so how could it ever be Zhen Niang's turn to do it? As a result, this shortcoming of hers remained unnoticed, not even by herself.

It wasn't until this moment, watching her own father twist lamp wicks, that Zhen Niang realized she seemed to have overlooked something very important—the lamp wick.

At this point, Li Jingfu said to his daughter, "Come, twist one for me to see."

"Alright." Zhen Niang then counted out twelve strands of nine-inch lamp wicks and began twisting them, focusing intently. However, Li Jingfu, watching from the side, frowned. Clearly, the girl was a complete novice in this area.

After twisting one, Zhen Niang handed it to her father. She knew exactly what the lamp wick she had twisted looked like, and she couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed.

Li Jingfu took the lamp wick Zhen Niang had twisted, looked at it, and chuckled. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, having a capable daughter also brought some pressure to a father.

Of course, Li Jingfu also noticed Zhen Niang's look of chagrin and couldn't bear to see her embarrassed. He said, "It's fine. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Starting tomorrow, you can learn how to twist lamp wicks from me. Although my hands are a bit rusty, I still understand the principles."

"Alright." Zhen Niang nodded, but in her heart, she understood: in this era, you truly couldn't underestimate anyone. Her father was widely regarded as incompetent, but in reality, it was just that his strengths were not yet known to others.

The father and daughter had not spent much time together before. Even during their heart-to-heart talk on the boat last time, their relationship hadn't grown particularly close. This was also one of the reasons why Zhen Niang hadn't immediately discussed the account book matter with Li Jingfu—mainly because the two were still too unfamiliar, and she hadn't thought of him right away when something came up.

But now, with this incident, they seemed to have grown a bit closer. The two spent some time together discussing Ink-making Technique issues.

Zhen Niang discovered that her father actually had a solid foundation in Ink-making.

So, for the next two days, Zhen Niang set aside everything else and focused on learning how to twist lamp wicks from her father. There was quite a bit of nuance to twisting lamp wicks. Generally, a finished lamp wick required twelve strands of sturdy yellow lamp wick to be twisted together. Then, it had to be boiled three times in a concentrated sappanwood solution until the purple color emerged, after which it was fished out, dried, wrapped in paper for storage, and kept free of dust. When needed, it could be taken out and used immediately.

When twisting the lamp wick, the strands must not be split in the middle. At the same time, it couldn't be twisted too tightly or too loosely. If too loose, it would absorb too much oil, causing the flame to be too strong—easily burning or charring. As a result, the soot pigment quality would naturally become coarse. If twisted too tightly, it would hinder oil penetration, making the flame sluggish and prolonging the smoke generation process, which was inefficient. It could also cause the soot pigment to become too hollow. Ink made from such soot pigment would lack density and find it difficult to form a solid ink core.

Moreover, the lamp wick had to be twisted evenly. If uneven, the flame would be unstable, and sparks could easily appear, which was also detrimental to the soot pigment.

All these details meant that even the slightest deviation was unacceptable.

Zhen Niang felt a pang of fear just thinking about it. It was entirely possible that one day, a batch of ink could be ruined in her hands because of the lamp wick. Ink-making Technique was a chain of interconnected steps. After two days of learning about lamp wicks, Zhen Niang gained a deeper understanding of smoke generation.Indeed, learning knows no bounds. After several successful attempts at making ink and becoming a supplier to the princess's residence, even though Zhen Niang spoke of staying calm, her heart still felt somewhat elated. However, her father's unintentional incident with the lampwick made Zhen Niang realize that she still had much to learn and many lessons to make up for in the art of ink-making.

Thus, after two quiet days, a major piece of news broke out on the official street.

In the morning, during the hour of Chen, after two days of twisting lampwicks, Zhen Niang grew restless from the prolonged stillness and decided to take a stroll to the shop counter. Her main concern, however, was the matter of Ge San Er. The night before, her uncle-in-law, Han Yigui, had come to fetch her father, saying that Li Zheng Ping's case had taken a dramatic turn.

"Zhen Niang, have you heard? Last night, the constables arrested Ge San Er?" Yao Niangzi leaned against the doorframe and spoke to Zhen Niang.

Zhen Niang had an idea about this but still asked curiously, "Why was Ge San Er arrested?"

"I suspect it has something to do with your Li Zheng Ping," Yao Niangzi replied.

Just then, Er Gou rushed in: "Miss Zhen, come quickly! There's been a major reversal in the case of Huang Lang's death. It turns out Ge San Er was the one who killed Huang Lang. The yamen is already holding a trial, and Li Zheng Ping might be saved!"

"Really?" As soon as he finished speaking, Hua'er, who had been wiping a table nearby, couldn't hold back. She dropped her cloth and dashed out.

Zhen Niang, along with Xiao Ya and Ma Sao, joined the crowd heading to the Yingtian Prefecture yamen.

By the time they arrived, the trial was nearly over. A large crowd had gathered outside, discussing the case animatedly, with some enthusiastic onlookers explaining the details to newcomers.

"I heard that yesterday evening, Ge San Er fell ill with a fever. Cao Shi called a doctor to examine him. Unexpectedly, Ge San Er, delirious from the fever, started shouting that he didn't kill Huang Lang. Isn't that a clear sign of a guilty conscience, with illness bringing out his inner demons? Huang Lang's concubine seized the opportunity to ask where the murder weapon was. To everyone's surprise, Ge San Er immediately revealed that the weapon was buried in the flowerbed next to the well in the courtyard. So, Huang Lang's concubine, Lü Zhu, reported it to the authorities right away. When the yamen officers arrived, they dug up the murder weapon from the flowerbed by the well. That sealed the case..." someone who had arrived earlier explained to the newcomers.

Zhen Niang listened from within the crowd. Everything was unfolding just as she had planned.

"Maybe it was a conspiracy between the siblings," someone suggested.

"Probably not. Huang Lang tried to kill Ge San Er first to silence him, but Ge San Er ended up killing him in self-defense... Besides, according to Ge San Er's confession, he killed Huang Lang at the beginning of the Chou hour. Ge Qiu Jie entered the city at the end of the Chou hour. There's a gap of more than two quarters of an hour between them."

Many pieces of evidence are difficult to uncover when the true culprit is unknown, but once the culprit is identified, it becomes much easier to piece things together in reverse.

"Why did Huang Lang want to silence someone by killing them?" someone asked curiously.

"You don't know, do you? Ge San Er's father, Ge Dana, died at Huang Lang's hands. I heard Ge Qiu Jie had already found evidence of this earlier. Now, they're inside trying Huang Lang for the murder of Ge Dana..."

Zhen Niang listened from the crowd. The details of the case matched what Ge San Er had told her, and it was progressing as she had hoped. However, what truly concerned her was not this but Ge San Er's response regarding the account books.

Of course, Zhen Niang also knew that she wouldn't find answers about the account books here.At this moment, in the main hall of the yamen, the prefect was presiding over the trial of Huang Lang's plot against Ge Dana. Ge Dana was guilty, but he had not committed suicide out of fear of punishment, as his crimes were not severe enough to warrant death.

Meanwhile, in the jailer's room, several people were quietly interrogating Ge San Er.

"Ge San Er, I ask you, after you killed Huang Lang, besides taking his money pouch, what else did you take?" asked a man who looked like a legal secretary.

"I didn't take anything else. I only took the money pouch, and at the time, I didn't even know he was dead," Ge San Er replied, still appearing dazed.

"Still trying to deceive us? Let me ask you again, besides the money pouch, what else did Huang Lang have on him at the time?"

"Oh, it seems there was also a book," Ge San Er said.

"A book? What kind of book?" His words left everyone present stunned. How did it suddenly become a book?

"I can't read. How would I know what kind of book it was?" Ge San Er protested, sounding aggrieved.

The legal secretary was quick-witted. He picked up an account book and handed it to Ge San Er. "Was it similar to this kind of book?"

"Yeah, pretty similar," Ge San Er replied.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"And where is this book now?" the secretary continued to ask.

"I burned it. I burned it together with the money pouch to send a message to my father... Several people at home saw it at the time," Ge San Er said, very candidly, though his expression remained dazed and foolish. It was hard not to believe him.

Several members of the Huang family, including Lü Zhu, also confirmed that Ge San Er had been roasting sweet potatoes while burning the blood-stained clothes that day. Moreover, the Huang residence had been thoroughly searched inside and out, and no such book was found anywhere.

Additionally, Wei Bai Wan denied any involvement with a secret silk account, only admitting that the account book contained records of his own tax evasion. Thus, the matter of the account book ultimately became a muddled affair. At first, some might have remained uneasy, but after a period of calm, they gradually let go of their concerns.

...

After the interrogation of Ge San Er concluded, thanks to the efforts of Han Yigui and the Li family, Ge Qiu Jie and Li Zhengping were released without charges the following day. As for Ge San Er, although Huang Lang had plotted against Ge Dana, murder was still murder, and he was ultimately sentenced to three years of hard labor. Cao Shi, for her previous crime of adultery, was paraded through the streets wearing a cangue.

Thus, the entire case was settled. As for what lay behind it, it no longer had any connection to the Li family.