The Heir

Сhарtеr 185: Six Harmоniеs Threе Talеnts Ink

Аftеr Оld Shорkeeрer Li left, Zhen Niang and Luo Wеnqiаn simplу gazеd аt еаch оthеr in silеnсе, momеntarily at а lоss for wоrds. After a whilе, Luo Wenqiаn rubbed his nosе аnd sаid, “I mаdе уоu worry.”

“Мm, I wаs quite wоrriеd indеed,” Zhеn Niang nоddеd earnеstlу, then а smile curled аt the cornеrs оf hеr mouth. Тhe anxiеtу аnd uneаsе shе hаd fеlt еarliеr hаd alrеadу dissipatеd like mist.

Luо Wеnqiаn let оut а lоw, sоft chuckle. Тhen, abruptly, he rеached оut, his coоl fingers brushing асross Zhеn Niang’s forehead.

Zhen Niang felt no particular shyness, but Luo Wenqian’s action was so sudden that she looked at him with some surprise.

Luo Wenqian spread his hand before her eyes—a broad palm with long, slender fingers. On the tips of his index and middle fingers was a smudge of grayish-black. “You’ve got soot pigment on you,” he said.

“Ah, I just came from the Ink Workshop with my grandfather. You know, we’re preparing for next year’s Tribute Ink Selection,” Zhen Niang explained with a light exclamation.

She was about to wipe it off with her own hand when, suddenly, her raised hand was gently grasped by Luo Wenqian. Holding her hand with one of his, he used his other hand to pull at his sleeve and lightly wipe Zhen Niang’s forehead, murmuring in a low voice, “Let me do it. You can’t see it yourself.”

“Mm,” Zhen Niang stopped moving and naturally let Luo Wenqian wipe the soot pigment from her forehead. The warmth transmitted through their clasped hands made her slightly unaccustomed, yet it also carried a distinct kind of warmth.

They were so close that they could hear each other’s heartbeat.

“Done,” Luo Wenqian said as he lowered his hand. Zhen Niang gave a soft smile.

At that moment, a fine, dense rain began to drift down.

“It’s raining again,” Luo Wenqian said, quickly pulling his sleeve over Zhen Niang’s head. Then the two of them dashed to the covered walkway. They glanced at each other and broke into laughter.

Afterward, Zhen Niang sat on the wooden railing by the walkway, while Luo Wenqian leaned against one of the pillars. They began talking about matters in Shanxi, and Zhen Niang inevitably asked about the righteous merchants of Shizhou.

Speaking of the righteous merchants of Shizhou, Luo Wenqian rubbed his nose, looking as if others had exaggerated his role. “I’m just an ordinary merchant. In those times, I could hardly ensure my own safety, let alone worry about others’ lives. But seeing people slaughtered in droves, homes burned one after another, blood staining the ground, and the savage grins of the Tatars—even a stone-hearted man couldn’t stand by. I thought, what use is it for us merchants to amass all the wealth in the world?

The court is weak and in decline. Back in the northern territories, which of us would willingly hand over the gold we toiled to mine? Yet, for the sake of our own safety and to protect our wealth, a few of the senior brothers agreed to let me give half of the gold mine to Marshal Qi to fund his troops. But while one Marshal Qi could protect our gold mine, could he safeguard this vast land? Once the Tatars invade, even fortunes worth ten thousand strings will be plundered, and lives will be slaughtered like pigs and dogs. At the time, I was filled with indignation, thinking, what use is wealth? So I issued that bounty. Looking back now, it was indeed somewhat overestimating myself. How much could one man’s strength achieve? Fortunately, several prominent local families responded to the call, and even some brothers from Mount Lüliang only asked me to treat them to a meal of wine and meat afterward. Truly, they were men of great righteousness.”Luo Wenqian spoke in a low voice. It was both impassioned and somber, tinged with bitterness.

Zhen Niang could sense the pressure weighing on Luo Wenqian. Anyone who had witnessed such a massacre would inevitably carry that burden, likely haunted by nightmares night after night.

Thus, she said nothing more, gently placing her hand over Luo Wenqian’s where it rested on the railing.

At that moment, the sweet fragrance of warmed wine wafted from the kitchen.

“Brother Luo, the wine is ready. Let’s go have a drink,” Zhen Niang said softly, giving Luo Wenqian’s hand a light tug.

“Alright, let’s drink,” Luo Wenqian rallied his spirits and laughed heartily. Just as the two were about to dash back to the main hall, Luo Wenqian paused and turned to Zhen Niang. “By the way, Zhen Niang, is your father still in contact with the Qin family?”

“The Qin family? You mean the family that saved my father?” Zhen Niang stopped and asked. Truth be told, she had long heard of the Qin family but had never met any of its members.

“Mm,” Luo Wenqian nodded.

“At the beginning of the year, the Qin family wanted my father to partner with them in opening a trading firm. But my father had to focus on the Ink Workshop, so he declined. The Qin family also seemed to have their own matters to attend to, so as the year draws to a close, no one from their side has come. For now, my father and the Qin family have no dealings,” Zhen Niang replied after a moment’s thought. She then looked up at Luo Wenqian and asked tentatively, “Why do you ask?”

Based on the anecdote recorded in the clan genealogy and the current circumstances, Zhen Niang surmised that the branch of the family that had made a fortune abroad and intended to reclaim Li Mo from Li Jincai was none other than their own Eighth Branch.

In that anecdote, the Eighth Branch was executed on charges of colluding with the Tatars. However, the account was brief, and Zhen Niang could only speculate about the specifics. Yet, she had a vague feeling that it might be connected to the Qin family. After all, her father had no dealings with the Tatars now, and his only connection to the northern regions was through the Qin family.

But the Qin family had saved her father’s life, and with them being far away beyond mountains, Zhen Niang had no way of knowing their situation and thus refrained from making baseless assumptions.

“Some matters are still difficult to discuss openly, but I am almost certain that the Qin family is involved with the Tatars. Moreover, I’ve heard from some bandits in Lüliang that the Qin family often collaborates with the Tatars to ambush and rob merchant caravans in order to eliminate business rivals,” Luo Wenqian said.

“Are you saying that the attack on my father’s caravan back then was likely orchestrated by the Qin family and the Tatars?” Zhen Niang’s eyes widened in disbelief. This was utterly unexpected.

“I can’t say for sure yet. I’ve already asked someone to look into it. In any case, your father should be cautious regarding the Qin family. While their life-saving grace must be repaid, he shouldn’t turn a blind eye.”

“Alright, I understand,” Zhen Niang nodded solemnly.

Seeing her serious expression, Luo Wenqian chuckled softly. “Mm, but don’t worry too much.”

“Understood,” Zhen Niang smiled as well.

Then, one after the other, they hurried back inside.

In the main hall, the Eight Immortals table was already set with food and wine. The warmed wine steamed invitingly. Seeing Luo Wenqian enter, Li Jingfu pulled him over to drink. Even Old Shopkeeper Li, in high spirits today, asked Zhen Niang to pour him a small cup, which he sipped slowly, looking quite content.The matter of Shanxi was set aside, and the conversation naturally turned to the Tribute Ink for the coming year. Old Shopkeeper Li occasionally inquired about Luo Mo's ink-making techniques. Regarding this, Luo Wenqian held nothing back, sharing everything he knew.

Old Master Li was deeply intrigued and spoke of the Li Family Four Harmonies Ink method he had previously researched.

The current Luo Mo had already integrated Pan Ink, emphasizing qi, with written characters displaying an elegant and ethereal ink tone, exceptionally lively. In contrast, Li Mo focused on depth, with an ink tone that was ancient and unadorned, producing characters that were dark, steady, and imposing.

It could be said that each had its own characteristics, but also its own shortcomings. Luo Mo was too ethereal and lively, with an unstable ink tone that faded easily, ultimately failing to form a solid ink core. Li Mo was steady and grand, yet overly so, lacking variation. Though it could form an ink core, it was akin to a "lifeless object."

Combining these two styles was no easy task.

"Li Mo's ancient and steady nature resembles 'earth,' while Luo Mo's ethereal and lively quality resembles 'heaven.' Heaven and earth cannot merge. If forced together, it would lead to chaos in the five elements, and the ink would fail to form," Old Shopkeeper Li mused thoughtfully.

"Grandfather, not necessarily," Li Zhenniang interjected from the side, holding her chopsticks, her words startling everyone.

"How so?" Old Shopkeeper Li looked at Zhen Niang, wondering what idea this girl had come up with now. Beside them, Luo Wenqian also watched Zhen Niang with a smile.

"The earth's depth nurtures all things, and humans are the finest among them. For 'earth' to merge with 'heaven,' it must first become 'human.' Only then can heaven and humanity unite," Zhen Niang said.

This was a bold hypothesis she had just formulated. In this era, ink was revered and collected by the ancients not merely for writing or carving techniques, but because its entire production process approached a kind of Dao—the unity of heaven and humanity, with the ink core forming naturally.

In later years, Li Zhenniang's grandfather, while studying the ink cores left by ancient inks, had once said that to understand ancient ink, one must grasp the Dao contained within it.

"Hmm, so to speak, to combine the achievements of the Li and Luo families' Ink Craft, we must focus on Li Mo," Old Shopkeeper Li pondered.

"Old Master, consider this: the Ink Craft of the Li and Luo families combines the greatness of heaven and earth. Heaven and earth are the universe, with up, down, east, west, south, and north forming the universe, also known as the six harmonies..." Luo Wenqian mused.

"And earth becomes human, and human unites with heaven—this is the three talents of heaven, earth, and humanity," Zhen Niang added immediately, suggesting that merging the Li and Luo ink methods would create the Three Talents Ink method.

At this, Shopkeeper Li slapped the table, his face filled with excitement. "Six Harmonies Three Talents? Yes, first the six harmonies! That's it! I will improve the Li Family Four Harmonies Ink into the Li Family Six Harmonies Ink."

Each harmony in ink-making and glue mixing added a layer of difficulty. Four harmonies was already exceptional, but six harmonies would likely reach the pinnacle. Regardless, through this conversation, the concept for the Li Family Six Harmonies Three Talents Ink, which greatly embodied the essence of Li Mo, was born.

"This calls for a great toast!" Luo Wenqian laughed heartily.

And so, everyone drank, including Zhen Niang, who downed a cup, her face turning bright red and burning uncomfortably.

In the following days, Old Shopkeeper Li and Zhen Niang, grandfather and granddaughter, seemed almost possessed, burying themselves in the research of the Li Family Six Harmonies Three Talents Ink. All matters in the Ink Workshop were left to Li Jingfu and Zheng Fuli to handle.And Sun Wenjie, that lad, was indeed determined. After a month of day and night study, he actually managed to pass several hurdles in a row, earning the recognition of the masters at the Ink Workshop. His understanding of various materials was now very solid. But the lad wasn’t satisfied with just knowing the materials; he made up his mind to produce high-quality soot pigment. During this period, he threw himself into the pigment workshop, specializing in learning the art of burning soot.

What Zhen Niang didn’t know was that this very endeavor would later give rise to a Sun Ink in history. Though it never achieved the brilliance of the Four Great Masters of Qing Ink, it still left a respectable legacy.

As November approached, preparations for the Tribute Ink required Zhen Niang, Old Shopkeeper Li, and the others to return to Huizhou ahead of time.

………………

(Well, let me say this here: this section about the Li Family’s Six Harmonies and Three Talents Ink is something I made up, after all, this is a novel. Of course, this fabrication is based on ancient theories—I didn’t go too wild with it, hehe. And before this, while not entirely accurate, most of the other ink methods and Ink Craft techniques were researched and have documented origins.)