The Heir

Сhaptеr 178: Unаfrаid оf Insрection

Аs sоon as Zhеn Niang finished sреаking, thе оnlоokers еrupted into another uрrоar, thеir faсеs fillеd with disbеlief. Аnу mеrсhаnt enсountering such а situаtion wоuld have wantеd to hide аnd covеr it uр, уеt Li Zhеnniаng wаs doing the ехaсt орpоsite. Тhis wаs utterly unехpеcted. Immediаtely, the сrоwd’s еnthusiasm fоr the speсtасle grеw еvеn strоngеr.

Аt this momеnt, еven Shеn Ziyаn and his cоmpаniоns wеre аstоnishеd. Нowever, thе Li family’s apprоach demоnstrated thеir sincеritу, and Shеn Ziyan’s expression softened considerably. Even the scholar beside him nodded slightly.

Immediately, several Ink Masters from the Cheng and Tian families, along with ink appraisers from nearby Four Treasures Studios, stepped forward to examine the problematic inksticks.

Of course, it wasn’t that these people were truly coveting Li Zhenniang’s reward silver—they genuinely didn’t care about it. Rather, it was the professional instinct of an Ink Master at work.

It was akin to how a mechanic in later times, upon seeing a malfunctioning machine, would want to investigate the issue regardless of whether the machine belonged to them.

Old Shopkeeper Li also invited Third Master Cheng to inspect the problematic inksticks together.

“What else could it be? It must be that the materials the Li family used in making the ink were substandard. There were already rumors about this before, but we didn’t believe them. Everyone said the Li family conducted business with integrity, but now it seems their reputation is undeserved,” a mocking voice rang out from the crowd. It was Tian Er’s insinuating tone.

Seeing Zhen Niang’s gaze turn toward him, Tian Er provocatively raised his chin. Serves you right—with the Li family encountering such a situation, it would be unjust if he didn’t take advantage of it.

“Your words don’t count. Let’s wait for the masters to examine them first,” Zhen Niang retorted coldly, glaring at Tian Er.

“Why don’t my words count?” Tian Er was taken aback by Zhen Niang’s rebuttal and questioned her in return.

“Do you understand ink? Mold on inksticks can be caused by the quality of the ink itself, but improper storage is also a major factor,” Zhen Niang countered with a single question, silencing Tian Er.

Having been publicly humiliated by Zhen Niang in front of so many people, Tian Er wore a resentful expression. However, he had his own calculations. After all, Steward Fang had personally witnessed Sun Wenjie purchasing inferior medicinal ingredients that day. No matter how eloquently Li Zhenniang argued, this point could not be refuted.

“What Miss Li says is correct. Mold on inksticks can indeed be caused by improper storage. However, the mold spots on these inksticks are not merely on the surface. I just cut one open and found that the mold inside is more severe than on the outside. Moreover, it’s clear that the mold spots spread from the inside out. This suggests that the mold is more likely due to the quality of the ink rather than storage issues. I believe it’s related to the Li family using inferior materials when making the ink,” said an Ink Master from the Tian family, stepping forward.

Several ink appraisers and those knowledgeable about ink nearby nodded in agreement. Old Master Li’s expression darkened, but he remained silent. At a time like this, anything he said would be futile.

The Tian family’s Ink Master then turned to Third Master Cheng, who was also inspecting the inksticks, and asked, “What do you think, Master Cheng?”

Having spent his entire life working with ink, Old Master Cheng naturally understood the issue clearly. Although he had a good relationship with the Li family, he remained impartial on such matters. “Well, that possibility exists. However, this is still just speculation. After all, the causes of mold on inksticks are quite complex.”"Proving this shouldn't be difficult—just check the Li family's materials," Tian Er added at that moment. Steward Fang had mentioned that Sun Wenjie had purchased quite a lot back then, and the medicinal herbs were only additives, used in small quantities. There must still be some left. As long as the problematic herbs were found, the Li family would have no way to argue.

Listening to Tian Er's words, Zhen Niang narrowed her eyes at him. She had a feeling that Tian Er seemed to know something.

"What, are you afraid? Losing your nerve?" Tian Er mocked.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Since it's come to this, the Li family will let everyone inspect the materials today." Tian Er had pushed the matter to this point, and there was no backing down now.

At this moment, Zhen Niang's mind was racing.

In fact, ever since the Shen family had appeared, Zhen Niang's thoughts had never stopped. Regardless of who was ultimately responsible for the Shen family's ink issue, it could be resolved—at worst, it was just a batch of ink.

Korean ink wasn't hard to buy. If it really was the Li family's materials that were problematic, Li's Ink Manor could simply compensate the Shen family with a batch of Re-blended Ink. The Shen family likely wouldn't press the matter further. The real difficulty lay in the aftermath. The problem now was that the situation had escalated, compounded by rumors that the Li family used substandard materials for ink-making. If the issue were resolved in such a simple manner, it wouldn't restore the Li family's reputation. Instead, it would confirm the accusation that the Li family indeed used inferior materials. At the very least, this would become a fatal weakness for the Li family in the competition for Tribute Ink.

Thus, this was the most troublesome part.

However, Tian Er's words gave Zhen Niang another idea.

Why not take this opportunity to publicly disclose the materials the Li family usually used? Zhen Niang had full confidence in her family's materials. The soot was produced in-house, so there was no risk of mold. As for the various glues used in ink-making, she and Zheng Fuli had established fixed suppliers with solid reputations. Moreover, Ink Mixing was the most critical step, and she personally inspected the glue before each batch of ink production to ensure quality.

Therefore, the soot and glue were absolutely not the problem. That left only the additives. As for the precious medicinal herbs, such as borneol and musk, Zhen Niang personally purchased these and often inspected them before use. Besides, these two herbs were more prone to evaporation than mold.

That left only a few common medicinal herbs, such as Qinpi. Zhen Niang recalled that before producing the batch for the Shen family, she had asked Zheng Fuli to check if any materials were lacking. Zheng Fuli had mentioned that a few medicinal herbs were running low, so Sun Wenjie was sent to the Gong Family Medicine Hall to purchase them.

At the time, since these herbs were inexpensive and Zhen Niang had long ago arranged with the neighboring Gong Family Medicine Hall to purchase all such herbs from them, with Apothecary Gong personally guaranteeing their quality, if these herbs were indeed the problem, then the fault wouldn't lie with the Li family. The Gong Family Medicine Hall would have to provide an explanation.

With this in mind, Zhen Niang had every reason to publicly allow an inspection. This would also be an opportunity to show everyone the materials the Li family typically used, letting the facts speak for themselves and dispel the rumors.

In this way, even if the Shen family's ink issue was due to problematic materials, it would likely be seen as an accident, and the earlier rumors would be debunked.Regarding the earlier matter of the rumors, Zhen Niang had pondered it for a long time. Stopping them was impossible—rumors simply couldn’t be halted. Yet, if left unchecked, the saying "three people spreading rumors make a tiger real" would eventually lead the Li family to suffer from the falsehoods. Now, this crisis had turned into an opportunity.

Having made up her mind, Zhen Niang spoke again, addressing Shen Ziyan and the scholar beside him: "Master Shen, all the materials for the Li family’s ink-making are stored in the warehouse. I’ll have someone bring out every material used in ink production, one by one, for everyone to inspect. Please follow along, Master Shen and this gentleman—both to give you an explanation and to ask you to bear witness."

Shen Ziyan and the scholar exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.

Thus, Zhen Niang gave the order. Zheng Fuli led the way with others, while Shen Ziyan and the scholar followed. The people of the Li family’s Ink Manor carried out various materials and placed them at the entrance.

First came the soot. Soot, by nature, couldn’t grow mold. Moreover, the Shen family’s ink was Re-blended Ink, so even if the Li family added a bit, they certainly wouldn’t have used much. Therefore, inspecting the soot was entirely unnecessary.

However, Zhen Niang paid no mind to this. Since she wanted everyone to see the Li family’s materials, it was better to be thorough.

At this moment, the Li family brought out the soot. On this official street, there were three ink workshops and several stationery shops, so many people understood ink. Although everyone knew soot couldn’t grow mold, since the Li family had brought it out, they were happy to take a look.

Yet, the quality of the Li family’s soot truly amazed everyone.

The old proprietor of Mei’s Ink Pavilion pinched a bit of soot in his hand and rubbed it on his palm. The soot was fine, smooth, and moist, clearly indicating it was not only finely ground but also rich in oil content. Moreover, his palm occasionally shimmered with tiny specks of iridescence. No wonder Li Mo was so good—with such soot, even with mediocre technique, the ink’s quality wouldn’t be poor.

"Excellent soot, truly excellent soot…" Old Master Mei sighed. Among the onlookers, many ink artisans understood soot to some extent. They gathered around, examining and commenting on the Li family’s soot, all marveling at its quality.

"What? Is the Li family’s soot really that good?" those who didn’t understand asked around.

"Of course! It’s all top-grade soot. The Li family’s smoke generation masters have exceptional skill," someone praised.

"The soot is fine," several masters assisting with the inspection confirmed.

Next came several types of glue: bone glue, deer antler glue, fish bladder glue, and so on. Each type was remarkably clear and pure.

"Tsk, tsk, not a single impurity. The Li family truly spares no expense…" someone in the crowd exclaimed again.

Thus, the glue also passed inspection.

Then came several additives: borneol, musk, and others. These didn’t need others to verify—Apothecary Gong, an expert in the field, confirmed they were all high-quality medicinal ingredients with no quality issues.

In this way, the quality of the Li family’s materials left everyone astonished. Many secretly thought, "The Li family truly upholds integrity in business."

Seeing things weren’t going his way, Tian Er grew anxious and hurriedly said, "There’s more, there’s more! Why aren’t they bringing everything out?"

Next came several common medicinal herbs. The masters inspected them and found no issues.

"Did the Li family hide the inferior materials?" Tian Er shouted again from the crowd."This can't be possible. The incident today happened so suddenly, with such a short window of time. The Li family might not even know what went wrong. Didn't you see Old Master Li and the others earlier, checking the ink along with everyone else? Besides, the Shen family was overseeing the material collection from start to finish. Hide it? Did the Li family even have the time?" someone nearby retorted.

"Or perhaps they had already used up the previous batch of substandard materials?" another person speculated.

"It's hard to say, but judging by the materials the Li family used, it doesn't seem like they would resort to substandard ones," someone else nearby remarked.

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