The Heir

Сhарter 237: A Goоd Оppоnent Is the Driving Fоrсе fоr Рrоgress

“Luo bоy, come over hеrе and рlaу а gаmе of сhеss with mе.” Аt thаt momеnt, Third Mastеr Сheng wаved at Luo Wеnqian.

Ovеr the pаst twо уеаrs, аs thе old mastеr grеw oldеr, hе hаd beсomе mоre and mоrе like а mischievous оld child—or pеrhарs he wаs simply relуing оn his sеnioritу—аlwауs саlling Luo Wеnqiаn “Luo bоy.”

Luо Wenqian didn’t mind. Нe hаd nо еlders bу his sidе, аnd аlthough there wеre Third Uncle and Тhird Aunt in the Luo Fаmily, due tо Luo Wеnqiаn’s status аs the legitimate heir of the Luo clan, coupled with the fact that the young men of Luo Village now relied on Luo Wenqian for opportunities, Third Uncle and Third Aunt treated Luo Wenqian with respect and courtesy.

Although Third Master Cheng’s “boy” didn’t sound pleasant, the familiarity in his tone carried a sense of affection.

Luo Wenqian appreciated it greatly.

This time, Luo Wenqian turned around and shrugged at Zhen Niang, wearing an expression that said he couldn’t do anything about Third Master. Zhen Niang naturally gave him a light push in annoyance. “Go on.”

Luo Wenqian grinned and nodded, then said, “I’ll come find you in a bit,” before heading over to Third Master Cheng. Soon, a chessboard was set up.

Zhen Niang wrinkled her nose. These two, old and young, had both become chess enthusiasts. She paid them no mind and went to the Ink Pavilion first.

Unexpectedly, Seventh Grandmother and Steward Shao were both in the Ink Pavilion. Seeing Zhen Niang arrive, Seventh Grandmother smiled and called her into the accounting room. She then spread an account book in front of Zhen Niang, with two property deeds placed on top.

“Seventh Grandmother, what is this?” Zhen Niang asked, puzzled.

“This is your share of the profits from the Ink Workshop over the past few years. Originally, we planned to give you silver, but the Ink Workshop is still waiting for the funds for the Tribute Ink to come through, so we can’t gather the silver right away. Instead, we’ve allocated the two storefronts in Nanjing—the Medicine Hall and the Cloth Shop—to you. These are the property deeds for those two shops, which will count as your share of the profits for these years,” Seventh Grandmother explained.

“Seventh Grandmother, how can this be?” Zhen Niang quickly replied.

How could she not understand the situation at the Ink Workshop? It wasn’t even the end of the year for profit sharing, and even if she were getting married, her Seventh Grandmother didn’t need to be in such a hurry. Seventh Grandmother was clearly intentionally converting the silver into property to add to her dowry.

After all, since the lifting of the ban, the value of silver had plummeted drastically. Holding onto property was much more stable than holding onto silver. Seventh Grandmother was doing this entirely for her sake.

But the Nanjing storefronts were ancestral properties of the Seventh Branch. This gift was too generous.

“Take it. It’s a token of my affection,” Seventh Grandmother said, patting Zhen Niang’s hand.

“Alright.” At this point, Zhen Niang had nothing more to say. Knowing it was the elder’s heartfelt gesture, she nodded and accepted it.

Afterward, Zhen Niang chatted with her Seventh Grandmother, and naturally, the topic turned to the competition between Fang Dalao and Cheng Dayue.

Jing Yan, who was nearby, couldn’t help but express his confusion. “What’s going on with Third Master Cheng? In terms of Ink Craft, Cheng Dayue is actually a step above Fang Dalao. How could he admit defeat just because of a bit of bird droppings? Isn’t that boosting the enemy’s morale while dampening our own?”

“You don’t understand. Third Master Cheng was doing this to help Fang Dalao, not wanting to ruin him,” Old Madam Li sighed.

“What do you mean?” Zhen Niang asked."One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Especially two tigers with completely different philosophies. Fang Dalao is a rare ink-making genius in Huizhou in recent years. The Nine Mysteries Three Extremes Ink he created was actually intended to promote a new ink-making philosophy—one that focuses on catering to the market, emphasizing extravagance, boldness, brilliance, and luxury. In contrast, the Cheng Family's ink-making philosophy has always been about simplicity, depth, and elegance... Because of this, whether it's Fang Yulu or the Nine Mysteries Three Extremes Ink, neither could thrive within the Cheng Family. A split between the two sides was inevitable. Your Third Master Cheng was merely going with the flow."

So that's how it was. History only mentions the conflict between Cheng and Fang but never specifies what it was about. However, judging from the characteristics of the ink produced by the Cheng and Fang families, the difference in their ink-making philosophies is evident. Yet, in his later years, Cheng Dayue managed to integrate the Cheng Family's ink-making philosophy with market demands, ultimately earning the title "Ink Demon" and leaving behind the famous saying: "A hundred years from now, there will be no Junfang, but there will be Junfang's ink; a thousand years from now, there will be no Junfang's ink, but there will be Junfang's name."

Of course, Fang Dalao also achieved fame through the Nine Mysteries Three Extremes Ink, with his reputation "spreading across the nine provinces, reaching both capitals, displayed in the Eastern Wall, and presented in the Imperial Treasury."

Perhaps it was precisely their conflict that ultimately made Cheng and Fang rivals. And it was the existence of this rivalry that drove both of them to constantly advance.

A rival is the true motivation for continuous progress.

As the two were speaking, Luo Wenqian entered, though his expression was somewhat peculiar.

"What's wrong, Brother Luo?" Zhen Niang asked curiously.

Luo Wenqian first paid his respects to Old Madam Li before replying, "I'm finding Third Master Cheng more and more incomprehensible. He just gave me a suggestion: after acquiring Tian ink, I should consider collaborating with Fang Dalao."

To be honest, after Fang Dalao's falling out with the Cheng Family, Luo Wenqian had briefly entertained this idea. After all, Fang Dalao was ambitious, capable, and possessed a boldness that disregarded praise or criticism. One must understand that the spectacle he caused today would be seen by others as somewhat heretical and would not benefit his reputation. Yet, such individuals are sometimes far more likely to succeed than those who rigidly follow conventions.

Of course, this was just a fleeting thought for Luo Wenqian, and he hadn't fully considered it.

But now, for Third Master Cheng to propose this was quite thought-provoking.

"Haha, this Third Master Cheng really dares to play with fire. Isn't he afraid of getting burned?" Old Madam Li laughed heartily from the side.

"Seventh Grandmother, what does Third Master Cheng mean by this?" Zhen Niang asked curiously.

"Your Third Master Cheng is creating a rival for Dayue," Old Madam Li said with a sigh. "Over the past few years, your Grandfather Cheng has been reorganizing Cheng ink, but there has been no breakthrough. Dayue, that boy, has always been more steady than innovative. If this continues, Cheng ink will eventually decline. So, your Grandfather Cheng has set his sights on Fang Dalao. Dayue may be steady, but he is still young. He has always looked down on Fang Dalao's ink-making philosophy, considering it mere showmanship. But if Fang Dalao succeeds, it will undoubtedly be an unbearable provocation for Dayue. Your Third Master Cheng intends to use this provocation to motivate Dayue.""I understand. Fang Dalao has now left Cheng Ink. Although he has Wang Daokun's support, he lacks a foundation. Starting from scratch would be a long road, far from making him a match for the Da brothers. So, Cheng San Yeye has set his sights on the Tian ink currently in my hands. With Tian ink as a foundation, Fang Dalao can become a worthy opponent for the Da brothers," Luo Wenqian said.

Meanwhile, Zhen Niang wore an expression of disbelief. Others might not know, but she was aware of history. If all this was truly arranged by Cheng San Yeye, then wouldn't that mean the ink industry rivalry between the Cheng and Fang families during the Wanli era was orchestrated by Old Master Cheng? Moreover, the entire flourishing of the ink industry in the mid-Ming period might also be the work of Third Master Cheng.

This was too incredible, leaving one no choice but to admire it.

"So, Brother Luo, are you planning to collaborate with Fang Dalao?" Zhen Niang asked Luo Wenqian.

"Not in a hurry. Since Grandfather Cheng recognizes that Tian ink will be Fang Dalao's foundation, Fang Dalao should be able to see it too. I'll wait for him to come to me," Luo Wenqian replied, thinking to himself that if Fang Dalao couldn't even see this, then collaboration would be pointless—it would clearly show a lack of vision.

That made sense—maintaining the initiative. Zhen Niang nodded.

Of course, as one of the two banners of Huizhou ink in the mid-Ming period, Fang Dalao couldn't possibly lack such insight.

Sure enough, a few days later, Fang Dalao sought out Luo Wenqian.

Over the following days, Luo Wenqian and Fang Dalao engaged in negotiations—a tug-of-war that couldn't be settled in a day or two. In short, Luo Wenqian was kept busy.

Soon, it was the first day of the second lunar month. Tomorrow would be the day of Aunt Jinhua and Cheng Changgen's wedding, which was to be held at the Sixth Branch mansion in the Li family village.

Today, Zhen Niang planned to go to Aunt Jinhua's place to help with the wedding preparations.

Outside the gates of Huizhou Prefecture, a stretch of stone steps began. As Zhen Niang exited the city gate, she saw Madam Su holding Little Guan'er's hand and standing at the gate with a bundle on her back. Just as Zhen Niang stepped out, Madam Su happened to turn around, and their eyes met.

The Li family had always treated Wang Decai and this Madam Su as if they were invisible. So, even though their eyes met, Zhen Niang acted as if she hadn't seen her, her expression calm and indifferent. She continued out of the city, passing by Madam Su.

Madam Su, however, upon seeing Zhen Niang, changed her expression, then smiled bitterly. After a moment's thought, she led Little Guan'er forward and caught up with her. "Miss Li, wait a moment."

"Oh, Auntie, what is it?" Zhen Niang replied with an expression that clearly said they weren't familiar.

"I heard Jinhua is getting married tomorrow?" Madam Su moved her lips, speaking after a long pause.

"Yes," Zhen Niang nodded.

"Could you pass a message to her for me?" Madam Su added.

"What message? Is it appropriate?" Zhen Niang replied, adding "Is it appropriate?" to question Madam Su, as her aunt wasn't close to her either.

"I'm not sure if it's appropriate either. But I'm about to leave Huizhou, and there are some things I must say," Madam Su said with a bitter smile.

"Then tell me," Zhen Niang replied, implying that if it wasn't appropriate, she naturally wouldn't pass on the message."Then, first wish your aunt a happy new marriage, and also tell her not to entrust her fate to others again. One can find understanding and make commitments, but one's own destiny must be grasped by oneself. The past her and the present me are examples." Madam Su said with a distant gaze fixed on the faraway mountains. After speaking, without waiting for Zhen Niang's reply, she took Little Guan'er by the hand and set off on the road.

Seeing her somewhat desolate figure, Zhen Niang couldn't help but ask, "Are you returning to Suzhou?"

"Yes, my family is there, while this place holds no fond memories," Madam Su replied before continuing on her way.

Watching Madam Su walk away, Zhen Niang clicked her tongue softly.

The Madam Su once recorded in the clan genealogy was glorious and splendid, but now, thinking back, Wang Decai had betrayed Madam Su to gain Chunzhi's support. The present Madam Su has become the second Li Jinhua, and regarding the Tian family matter, if Wang Decai succeeds, then Chunzhi might become the third.

However, one who often walks by the river cannot avoid getting their shoes wet. How could Wang Decai have imagined that Chunzhi would become his executioner?

As for Madam Su, she now clearly sees things more clearly. Zhen Niang thought, Madam Su's words could indeed be shared with her aunt. Although this time Cheng Changgen has gained the recognition and support of the entire Li family, regardless, self-reliance and strength are always necessary. Moreover, for her aunt to uphold the Li family's Sixth Branch, she especially needs a spirit of independence and self-reliance.