Chарtеr 202: Тhе Glory of аn Ink Мaker
Нow cоuld Zhеn Niаng fаil tо sеe through Тian Ronghua’s petty sсhеmes?
Нowеvеr, shе аlwaуs рrераred thоroughly for еvеrything. Аlthough she hadn’t аnticipаted that thе Тiаn fаmilу wоuld bribе the Ink Tеsting Мastеrs, shе hаd somе ideаs оf her own rеgаrding the tеsting procеss. As Ink Testing Маstеrs themsеlves, eaсh Ink Маster hаd thеir оwn strеngths аnd tеchniquеs, аnd using pаinters tо test ink cоuld not fullу dеmоnstratе thе quаlitу of the ink.
Su Dongрo, throughout his life, was еxceрtionallу knowlеdgеablе about ink. His Discourse on Ink recorded a method for testing ink:
Grind the ink on an Ink-Fading Stone Inkstone, and write on a Refined White Jade Slab. All inferior ink will fail.
In other words, grinding ink on an Ink-Fading Stone Inkstone could reveal the ink’s luster and smoothness, while displaying the ink’s color on a Refined White Jade Slab could better showcase its brilliance, depth of black, and tonal gradations.
This was the simplest and most effective method for testing ink.
Thinking of this, Zhen Niang watched as the elegant young women prepared the brushes and ink.
Now that all three Ink Testing Masters were biased toward the Tian family, she had no choice but to humble them a little.
Just as Zhen Niang stood up again, ready to speak, a flash of purple-gold lightning streaked across the sky outside Taibai Tower, followed by a clap of thunder that startled everyone inside.
“The weather’s changing—it’s going to rain!” someone in Taibai Tower exclaimed.
Outside, the sky was now thick with rolling dark clouds. In no time, the afternoon sky grew dim and gloomy, as dark as when chickens return to their roost. In such light, testing ink was impossible.
“Manager, manager! Light the lamps quickly!” an official from the Ink Affairs Bureau called out to the tavern keeper.
“I’ll do it right away,” the manager of Taibai Tower replied hastily, tucking in his robe as he hurried downstairs to instruct the waiters to light the lamps.
The Ink Testing Gathering was temporarily suspended. Meanwhile, waiters and attendants served refreshments and tea to each table, giving everyone a chance to rest.
Just then, raindrops as large as beans began to fall, splattering against the bluestone pavement outside and shattering into tiny droplets. Soon, the ground was covered in foamy white bubbles—a torrential downpour had begun.
“This wretched weather, raining again! Hurry, take shelter in the shops nearby!” shouted the idlers still gathered outside Taibai Tower.
Inside the tower, the sudden change in weather had caused some commotion.
Zhen Niang walked over to the window overlooking the river. Outside, the sky was dark and gloomy, and the river’s surface was shrouded in a vast expanse of misty rain. Through the curtain of rain, she spotted a small boat racing downstream toward the tower. In no time, it reached the riverbank, and two figures leaped from the boat onto the embankment. Zhen Niang frowned slightly. The first was Luo Wenqian, followed closely by his clansman Luo Ping An.
Had something happened? Zhen Niang distinctly remembered Wenqian saying he would attend this Tribute Ink Selection, yet he hadn’t appeared among the spectators today. Now, in the midst of this heavy rain, the two of them had rushed here in such haste—something must have occurred.
The thought filled her with anxiety.While Zhen Niang was still deep in thought, Luo Wenqian, still wearing his straw raincoat, bounded up the stairs in a few quick leaps. A waiter hurriedly tried to stop him, blocking his way. Fortunately, Luo Wenqian had the official invitation issued by the Ink Affairs Bureau. Only after the waiter examined it did he allow him to proceed, though he insisted that Luo Wenqian remove his raincoat first.
Luo Wenqian was clearly in a hurry. He tore off the raincoat, tossed it into the waiter’s hands, and strode upstairs, the hem of his robe damp from the rain. Zhen Niang had already stepped forward to meet him. “Brother Luo, has something happened?”
Luo Wenqian was usually so composed and leisurely; Zhen Niang had never seen him look so grave.
He gently pulled her aside to a corner near a screen, then took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to her.
Puzzled, Zhen Niang accepted the letter. She pulled out the pages and had only glanced at a few lines when she gasped, her expression shifting sharply. She clenched her teeth, her face growing solemn.
It turned out that a few days earlier, when the ship of the Wang family and others had returned, it had been accompanied by a Japanese tribute envoy delegation. This delegation was now in Nanjing, temporarily hosted by the Maritime Trade Bureau. Among them was a merchant group led by Renji Eishō, who also served as an envoy for the delegation. It was said that this man possessed remarkable ink-making skills. This time, he had brought a box of ink he had personally crafted, intending to present it to the Ming court through the Maritime Trade Bureau. Yet, audaciously, Renji Eishō had imprinted the words “World’s Finest Ink” on the inkstick.
It was well known that both the Yumi Great Ink and the once-famous Li Mo had been hailed as the world’s finest ink. Even some small ink workshops, when imitating Yumi Great Ink or Li Mo, would sometimes carve the title “World’s Finest Ink” on their products.
But everyone understood that this was merely a promotional tactic, not to be taken seriously.
However, for a Japanese man to carve “World’s Finest Ink” on ink intended as a tribute in such a formal setting was nothing short of a blatant provocation.
As a result, the court refused to accept Renji Eishō’s tribute.
Unexpectedly, Renji Eishō refused to back down. He formally proposed an Ink Competition in the name of the envoy delegation, declaring that unless someone could produce ink superior to his, the Ming court should not reject Japan’s tribute.
Eunuch Yan of the Maritime Trade Bureau was furious, nearly expelling him on the spot. However, since Renji Eishō had formally proposed the Ink Competition in the name of the envoy delegation, the Maritime Trade Bureau had no authority to decide. They could only submit a memorial to the capital.
Thus, the matter entered a waiting period.
Nevertheless, the entire Nanjing ink industry was incensed by Renji Eishō’s challenge—it was a direct slap in the face to Ming ink makers.
The three major Huizhou ink manors—the Li Family, the Tian Family, and the Cheng Family—stood at the pinnacle of the ink industry and would not act rashly. Moreover, with Huizhou currently in the midst of tribute selection, only the Cheng Family had someone in authority to make decisions; the other two manors were still awaiting instructions, remaining in a state of watchfulness. However, smaller ink workshops, along with literati passionate about ink-making and collectors of fine ink, all brought out their meticulously crafted inks and directly challenged Renji Eishō to compete.
Yet, to everyone’s surprise, they were defeated one by one. Among the losses were even the Li Family’s Yumi Ink, the Tian Family’s Purple Jade Radiance, and the Cheng Family’s Mystic Origin Jade.The Yu Mi Ink of the Li Family, the Purple Jade Radiance of the Tian Family, and the Xuan Yuan Jade of the Cheng Family—these were arguably the three finest inks currently available on the market. Unexpectedly, all of them had been defeated. In an instant, the entire Nanjing ink industry fell into silence, while Renji Eishō grew even more arrogant. At the same time, the imperial court was also stirred by this development.
Originally, the court had regarded Renji Eishō's challenge with disdain, as not just anyone could issue such a challenge. However, after the Nanjing ink industry's involvement, this battle became unavoidable.
Amidst this turmoil, the Nanjing ink industry gradually regained its composure. Through the previous Ink Competition, prominent ink-making families such as the Li, Tian, Cheng, Gu, and Zhu families had secretly dispatched observers to investigate. It was then discovered that Renji Eishō's ink indeed had an unusual origin.
His ink-making technique was derived from the methods of a Western Region monk during the Song Dynasty.
Zhen Niang recalled that in the Qing Dynasty book Chibei Outan, there was a section comparing various ink-making techniques.
One passage recorded a conversation between a Western Region monk and Su Tajian of the Song Dynasty, in which the monk remarked, "In my country, we have no inkstones or brushes, but we possess superior ink, unmatched by that of the Central Plains."
The book also documented the monk's mention of this "palm-leaf ink," inscribed with hundreds of Sanskrit characters, which exhibited an exceptionally lustrous hue. Additionally, it recorded how Su Tajian used this ink for writing, placed it by a window, and after it was soaked by rain, wiped it with a cloth—yet the characters remained indelible.
This referred to the ink-making technique. Moreover, the materials used in Renji Eishō's ink were extraordinary. The soot material likely came from thousand-year-old pine, while the adhesive resembled fish bladder glue. Based on its scent, it was highly probable that it was made from boiled sea dragon bones.
It could be said that Renji Eishō's ink was virtually irreplicable. After all, thousand-year-old pine was a rare find, and it was likely that Renji Eishō would only ever produce one box of such ink in his lifetime. Yet, with this ink, he had issued a challenge that could not be ignored.
Coincidentally, Huizhou was in the midst of the Tribute Ink Selection. Thus, someone in the court proposed that once the Tribute Ink Selection in Huizhou concluded, the merchant who obtained the Tribute Ink Privilege would face Renji Eishō in an Ink Competition.
The letter stated that the imperial decree was already on its way.
Upon receiving the news, the Li and Luo families of Nanjing immediately dispatched messengers, alternating between land and water routes, racing against time to deliver the message to Huizhou. As soon as Luo Wenqian received the letter, he rushed to inform the Li Family.
In truth, as an ink-making family, they were not afraid of an Ink Competition. Zhen Niang analyzed the letter in secret and concluded that their Li Family's Six Harmonies Three Talents Ink should be capable of competing.
Of course, to ensure absolute certainty, they still needed to refine their materials. The true difficulty of Renji Eishō's ink lay precisely in its materials.
For this reason, even if the Li Family decided to compete, there was no guarantee of success.
However, now that the imperial court had issued a decree, victory was the only acceptable outcome. Defeat could very well lead to disaster for the entire clan.
This was why Luo Wenqian had rushed over in such urgency, and it was also the source of Zhen Niang's concern amid her frustration.
In other words, due to Renji Eishō's interference, the still-contested Tribute Ink Privilege had now become a hot potato. From this point onward, whoever obtained the Tribute Ink Privilege would have to face this decisive battle.
Victory would bring glory to one's ancestors, while defeat could mean exile for the entire clan—or worse, the loss of several heads.
Thus, it was inevitable that people would now question: Should they still compete for the Tribute Ink Privilege?To be honest, if Zhen Niang were to fight, she couldn't shoulder grand ideals like serving the nation or the people—she was just a young woman. But as an ink maker, she couldn't back down at such a time. This was a war that belonged to ink makers.
However, involving the safety of the entire clan was not a decision she could make alone. Therefore, it would have to be left to Grandfather and Seventh Grandmother to decide.
Yet, based on her understanding of her own grandfather and Seventh Grandmother, she feared that even if they knew it might lead to death, they would never retreat. On the contrary, it might even strengthen their resolve to seize the Tribute Ink. This had nothing to do with life or death—it was the honor every ink maker must uphold.
How many people in the Li family had died in ink making over the decades? Yet, they had never spoken of retreat.
"I'll go talk to Grandfather and Seventh Grandmother," Zhen Niang said, tucking the letter into her bosom, her eyes gleaming brightly.
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