The Heir

Сhаpter 192: Wе Wоn’t Fаll intо Тhis Trap

“Ноw outragеous! Our Тiаn fаmilу hоsts thе Ink Testing Gаthering, yet it’s the Li family thаt rеaрs the bеnеfits.”

Аftеr the Тiаn fаmilу’s Ink Тesting Gаthering, Tian Еr stоmpеd around in a rаge.

“Seсond Brоthеr, саlm dоwn. Whу bоther ovеr suсh a smаll gаin? Тodаy’s gаthеring brought prаisе for оur Tian ink, alоng with ink reviews from Instruсtоr Тian аnd Scholar Sun. Whу nоt hаve thеir rеviеws рublishеd? Аcсоrding to thе Xu fаmily, Schоlar Sun hаs аlrеadу bееn аppointеd to a position in Yingtiаn and will take оffice sоon. Нis rеview will surеly add prestige to our Tian ink.” Tian Ronghua said calmly from the side, as everything remained within her control.

Your Li family has the review of Top Scholar Shen, but our Tian family now has Scholar Sun’s review. Neither side loses out.

At this moment, Tian Ronghua thought to herself: This time, she had thrown out the bait of styrax ink, but she wondered whether the Li family would take it or not.

………………

In the afternoon, the four branches of the Li family gathered together to carefully examine the ink samples Little Wenyou had brought back.

“Judging by the ink tones, the Tian family has already taken the lead in the field of styrax ink.” Old Shopkeeper Li reclined in his armchair. Although his health had improved over the past few days, he still appeared somewhat weak.

However, his eyes remained fixed on the landscape painting. Though the painting was not colored, its shades were perfectly balanced, layered, and grand in scale. This layering effect was entirely due to the distinct five tones of black, white, and gray achieved by the styrax ink.

It could be said that Sun Kehong’s painting fully showcased the advantages of styrax ink.

“The Tian family has been in charge of Tribute Ink for three years, and with the backing of the Luo Family, it’s no surprise they’ve advanced this far with styrax ink.” Seventh Grandmother mused thoughtfully.

After all, styrax oil had long been prohibited for commoners as a foreign oil. Only because the Luo and Tian families had been in charge of Tribute Ink could they obtain styrax oil and develop styrax ink.

Now, with the lifting of the ban, the restrictions on styrax oil had been removed.

“Styrax ink holds great value. Coupled with the grand scale of the Tian family’s Ink Testing Gathering this time, especially Scholar Sun’s review of their styrax ink—I’ve heard many from the academy are seeking it out. The paper here on Four Treasures Street has become expensive overnight. With this, the Tian family’s reputation is likely to soar. Even if other ink products are made well, they may struggle to compete with the Tian family’s styrax ink.” Old Steward Shao expressed his concerns from the side.

For many people, the quality of ink is often determined by its value.

“If that’s the case, does our Li family also need to research styrax ink to compete with the Tian family?” Madam Cheng, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family, asked with some anxiety.

“Aunt, if our family does that, we’ll fall right into the Tian family’s trap.” Zhen Niang said with a sly, fox-like smile as she carefully put away the painting and handed it back to Little Wenyou.

Little Wenyou treasured it and obediently sat beside his mother, Madam Sun.

Seventh Grandmother and Old Shopkeeper Li exchanged glances and nodded slightly. They knew this clever girl wouldn’t be easily fooled.

However, the others looked puzzled.

“Oh, what do you mean by that?” Da Huang Shi, who had spent the most time with Zhen Niang in Nanjing, asked first.Zhen Niang then explained that the cost of styrax ink was too high, and if it were used to compete for the Tribute Ink, it might lead to the court being criticized for wasting the people's wealth.

"So, does that mean the Tian family's vigorous promotion of styrax ink is all for nothing?" Aunt Jinhua, standing nearby, was puzzled by Zhen Niang's words.

"The Tian family isn't foolish. Otherwise, the Cheng Family wouldn't have fallen into their hands back then. By promoting styrax ink, the Tian family can showcase their ink-making achievements. When the day comes to compete for the Tribute Ink, they can easily explain their reasons and submit another high-quality ink for the selection. If we truly believe they will use styrax ink for the tribute, we’ll likely fall into their trap. And if we focus on researching styrax ink ourselves, we’ll only play right into their hands. Not to mention, in such a short time, how could we possibly catch up to the Tian family’s expertise? We’d waste our efforts and, worse, jeopardize our own chances in the tribute selection," Zhen Niang said.

Though the Tian family’s small Ink Testing Gathering today seemed insignificant, it actually set two traps for their competitors in the Tribute Ink selection.

The first was a classic case of "feigning movement in the east while attacking in the west"—making everyone believe the Tian family would compete with styrax ink. Zhen Niang was now certain that when the time came, the Tian family would not use styrax ink. After all, even if the Tian family hadn’t thought of it, surely the Xu family would have.

The second trap was something Zhen Niang deduced when Xiao Wenyou was framed. While the first trap targeted all competitors in the tribute selection, the second was specifically aimed at the Li family.

Developing a new type of ink was no easy task. At the previous ink-making gathering, Zhen Niang had already examined the Tian family’s styrax ink, but in such a short time, it was impossible to fully decipher its secrets. The Tian family likely intentionally used the incident with the shop assistant to lure the Li family into bidding. Given the circumstances at the time, if not for Zhen Niang’s deep understanding of Sun Kehong and her determination to protect the Li family’s reputation, they might have felt compelled to participate in the bidding. The price was already high, and if the Li family had made an offer, the painting would have ended up in their hands.

However, thanks to Zhen Niang’s intervention, the Li family didn’t spend a single coin, but the outcome remained the same.

With such a landscape painting in their possession, the Li family would have an even clearer path to studying the ink color of styrax ink. The Tian family clearly understood the Li family well—as technical enthusiasts, they wouldn’t pass up such an opportunity. Coupled with the importance of the Tribute Ink Privilege, it was likely the Li family would throw themselves into researching styrax ink.

This was the deeper trap the Tian family had set for the Li family. In the end, it would be the Li family accused of wasting the people’s wealth.

However, the Tian family clearly underestimated the Li family. Aside from Zhen Niang, both Seventh Grandmother and Old Shopkeeper Li were shrewd individuals. With their years of experience, they could see through such schemes at a glance.

"Oh, now that you explain it, it makes perfect sense. The Tian family is truly not one to be trifled with," Aunt Jinhua said, patting her forehead with a look of sudden realization.

"So, what should we do next?" Huang Shi asked.

Seventh Grandmother nodded at Zhen Niang. It had long been decided that Zhen Niang would lead the tribute selection efforts, so everything would follow her arrangements. The two elders would simply step in to fill any gaps."Seventh Grandmother, Grandfather, this is what I think: we should proceed at our own pace, step by step, without letting others lead us by the nose. That way, no matter what tricks others may play, we will rely on our craftsmanship to speak for itself," said Zhen Niang.

The Tian family's trap was one the Li family naturally would not fall into.

"Good, this is how ink makers should be," Seventh Grandmother and Shopkeeper Li were extremely pleased with Zhen Niang's words. Although everyone was now employing all kinds of tricks to compete for the Tribute Ink Privilege, there were certain principles that must be upheld.

Thus, it was decided: the Li family's Ink Testing Gathering would be held in ten days.

The Ink Testing Master would still be Ding Yunpeng. As for Mr. Dongtu, after passing the provincial examination last year, he had now gone to the capital to participate in the metropolitan examination and naturally could no longer assist the Li family with ink testing.

However, in the following days, the weather turned unfavorable. The skies, which had been clear and sunny, began pouring with heavy rain from the very first day.