The Heir

Сhaptеr 88: Наn Хizаi's Night Banquet

Тhis Zоnglin gentlemаn fully embоdiеd thе twо сhаractеrs of "Confucian merсhаnt."

"Greеtings, Mr. Zоnglin," Zhеn Niаng sаluted Нu Zоnglin ассording tо etiquette.

Аt this mоment, Нan Yigui took thе opрortunity tо intrоduсе Zhеn Niаng: "Вrother Zоnglin, this is mу nieсе, Li Zhеnniang, сurrentlу thе head оf Li Мo. Shе has comе to Nanjing to ореn an Ink Мanor. If she еnсоunters diffiсultiеs in thе futurе, Вrоther Zоnglin, рleаse lеnd a helрing hand."

"Оh, sо this is Li Zhеnniang, whо intrоduсеd Re-blended Ink аnd single-handedly revеrsed Li Mo's dеcline. I hаve lоng hеard оf you. Truly, the student surpasses the master. No wonder you could produce that Hundred Herbs Soot Ink. As far as I know, that Hundred Herbs Soot Ink is likely different from ordinary hundred herbs soot, isn't it? Its medicinal effects are more pronounced." Mr. Zonglin said with a smile. He had some knowledge of medicine, and the efficacy of that Medicinal Ink was noticeably better than what he had used before, hence his remark.

He then raised his hand, signaling Miss Zhen not to stand on ceremony.

"Yes, to inform you, sir, Li family's Hundred Herbs Soot Ink has added several additional herbs, which have the effects of clearing the mind, dispelling dryness, and astringency," Zhen Niang replied. As for what herbs were added, there was no need to say—that was a proprietary secret formula.

As for Hu Zonglin's remarks about having long heard of her and the student surpassing the master, Zhen Niang understood clearly. The actual rumors were not like this; people in Huizhou said the Li family was letting a hen crow at dawn.

For over a decade, the Li family had been managed by Seventh Grandmother. Now, although Seventh Grandmother still oversaw household affairs, it was Li Zhenniang who was expanding Li Mo's business externally. In the eyes of conventional society, this was somewhat unorthodox.

Of course, with Mr. Zonglin's refined demeanor, he would not think as the rumors suggested, hence his remark about the student surpassing the master.

Zhen Niang naturally understood this implicitly.

"Yes, I thought it must be so," Mr. Zonglin nodded.

"Song'er's wife, you may go attend to your duties. Let Zhen Niang stay and help us warm the wine," Han Yigui said to Han Chen Shi beside him.

"Yes, I shall take my leave then," Han Chen Shi saluted Han Yigui and Mr. Zonglin. She then nodded to Zhen Niang, who smiled back to indicate it was fine. Thus, Han Chen Shi withdrew.

Zhen Niang sat down nearby. The so-called wine warming did not require her to lift a finger—maidservants attended to it. She merely sat to the side, helping Uncle-in-law and Mr. Zonglin refill their wine.

She also understood that Uncle-in-law had her stay at this moment partly to introduce her to Mr. Zonglin. After all, merchants from Huizhou could not do without the support of the Huizhou Merchant Guild. Especially for a woman like Zhen Niang, if she wanted to establish herself in Nanjing's business circles, the guild's support was crucial.

Additionally, when Uncle-in-law chatted with Mr. Zonglin, they would inevitably discuss matters related to Nanjing's business world. Having only recently arrived in Nanjing, Zhen Niang was completely in the dark about its commercial landscape. Her previous understanding did not even scratch the surface. This way, she could become more familiar with Nanjing's business affairs.

...

"By the way, I heard there was an interesting incident at the pawnshop recently?" Han Yigui asked with a smile.

"Hah, you've heard about it too," Mr. Zonglin replied with a bitter smile, rubbing his nose. His Hu family ran a pawnshop, so he knew the ins and outs of the matter best."I haven't quite figured out the details, but I heard a woman wanted to pawn a painting or something, which ended up causing quite a stir?" said Han Yigui. As someone in the raw silk and cloth trade, he wasn't too familiar with the pawnbroking and money-lending business and wasn't particularly fond of gossip. He only heard bits and pieces occasionally, so he wasn't entirely clear about the matter.

"Hmm. There was indeed a woman who brought a hand-painted scroll of Han Xizai's Night Banquet to various pawnshops to pawn," replied Mr. Zonglin.

"Oh, Han Xizai's Night Banquet—that's a treasure! Weren't all the pawnshops like cats catching a whiff of fish? I suppose you were tempted too, Brother Zonglin?" Han Yigui asked with some surprise.

"If it were the genuine Han Xizai's Night Banquet, I would naturally be tempted. However, I've seen that painting, and it's clearly a fake. Everyone knows that Han Xizai's Night Banquet was painted by Gu Hongzhong. Gu Hongzhong's brushwork is rounded and forceful, with rich and vibrant colors. Yet, this so-called Han Xizai's Night Banquet has thin, sharp brushstrokes and lacks the application of reds and whites, appearing quite plain and elegant. Even as a forgery, it's far from the original. Still, the painting does have its own distinctive qualities.

So, at the time, I considered spending some money to buy it. But the woman insisted it was the genuine Han Xizai's Night Banquet and set a very high price, inevitably drawing ridicule from the owners of other pawnshops, who accused her of being money-crazed. In the end, the woman grew angry and set up a stall in the street, declaring that if anyone could identify the painting as Han Xizai's Night Banquet and explain its origin, she would willingly give it away. This attracted many troublemakers to come and take a look." As Mr. Zonglin spoke, his expression turned somewhat amused and exasperated.

Truly, this woman's action was undermining the reputation of pawnshops like theirs, accusing pawnbrokers of being blind to true value.

However, with Mr. Zonglin's temperament, he naturally wouldn't stoop to arguing with the woman.

"Perhaps it might not be fake after all," Zhen Niang suddenly interjected from the side.

In her previous life, Han Xizai's Night Banquet was quite famous, with one version preserved in the Palace Museum in Beijing. Back then, Li Zhen had a wish to recreate Han Xizai's Night Banquet in ink, so she paid close attention to it. After researching some materials, she learned that there were actually two versions of Han Xizai's Night Banquet. One, housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing, was painted by Gu Hongzhong. The other was by Zhou Wenju, whose brushwork was characterized by sharp, thin strokes and a natural style, without the use of reds or whites.

"Oh, why do you say that?" Mr. Zonglin asked curiously.

Meanwhile, Han Yigui beside him frowned slightly. He had allowed Zhen Niang to stay mainly to listen, and her sudden interruption, especially to contradict a professional, was somewhat impolite.

"While researching ink classics, I once came across an ancient book that recorded the origin of Han Xizai's Night Banquet. During the Li Tang period, Han Xizai held great power and achievements, which made Emperor Li Houzhu wary of him. To avoid suspicion, Han Xizai indulged in pleasures and entertainment. At the time, Emperor Li Houzhu sent both Gu Hongzhong and Zhou Wenju to investigate and verify this. Therefore, there should be two versions of Han Xizai's Night Banquet, and the one in the woman's possession is likely the version by Zhou Wenju." Zhen Niang explained earnestly. She had spoken without thinking, and only after the words were out did she realize it might have been inappropriate. But since she couldn't take them back, she tried her best to explain clearly.In later generations, the painting "Han Xizai's Night Banquet" by Zhou Wenju had long been lost.

After hearing what Zhen Niang said, even the usually elegant and composed Mr. Zonglin couldn't help but change his expression.

As for Han Yigui, who came from a small merchant background, he didn't understand such matters. However, seeing Mr. Zonglin's altered expression, he suddenly wondered if his niece might actually be right.

"Bang!" At that moment, Mr. Zonglin slapped the table heavily. "I'll be right back," he said, then, disregarding propriety, he stood up and left in a great hurry.

Zhen Niang naturally understood his feelings at that moment. If someone else were to prove the authenticity of that painting, the pawnshops of those families, including Mr. Zonglin's, would lose all face. And they couldn't blame anyone else—who told them to be blind to true value?

Watching Mr. Zonglin leave in a rush, Han Yigui looked at Zhen Niang and said, "It seems you might really have hit the mark."

"Hard to say for sure," Zhen Niang replied with a smile.

At this point, Han Yigui had the maid clear away the wine and bring tea instead. He then asked Zhen Niang about matters in Huizhou, and she answered each question in detail, even mentioning Wang Jincai's situation.

"That ungrateful wretch. It's just a pity for Brother Run. But perhaps it's for the best. Your Seventh Grandmother is truly formidable," Han Yigui said. In truth, he hadn't approved when he heard that the Sixth Branch of the Li family had arranged for Wang Jincai to marry into their household. He had met Wang Jincai before and felt the man was too cunning and deep—not a suitable candidate for such a marriage. However, as it wasn't his place to interfere, he had kept his thoughts to himself.

"By the way, Uncle-in-law, when Aunt came to borrow money earlier, it was partly because Ink Manor really needed funds, and partly because land transactions are quite risky. That's why I didn't agree to lend it," Zhen Niang explained, thinking of her aunt's earlier attitude.

Some things, if not clarified in time, become harder to explain later.

Han Yigui was taken aback. "What borrowing? Wasn't your aunt just visiting your Seventh Grandmother because she was ill?"

"Ah, didn't you know, Uncle-in-law?" Zhen Niang was surprised, suddenly feeling she might have brought up an inappropriate topic.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Han Yigui insisted, not allowing Zhen Niang to evade the question.

So Zhen Niang explained how her aunt had come to borrow money to buy land.

"Your aunt is good in many ways, but sometimes her ambitions are a bit too grand. You did the right thing by not lending her the money. I'll have a word with her about this later," Han Yigui said, frowning. He had long advised her to stay away from such matters, but she had stubbornly pursued them.

"Please don't scold Aunt, Uncle-in-law. By not lending her the money, I've already offended her. If you scold her too, I'm afraid I won't be able to set foot in your house again," Zhen Niang said playfully, bowing slightly to Han Yigui.

"So now you're taking your aunt's side? Alright, I won't blame her. But I still need to talk to her about this land-buying business. Otherwise, given her stubborn nature, once she sets her mind on something, she'll find a way to make it happen no matter what," Han Yigui said.

"Mhm," Zhen Niang nodded in agreement.

Just as they finished speaking, a cup of tea was drained.

At that moment, Mr. Zonglin returned, though his expression was not pleasant.

"What's wrong? Was it still a fake?" Han Yigui asked, inviting him to sit down."Ah, Zhen Niang was right. That handscroll was indeed Han Xizai's Night Revels painted by Zhou Wenju. What a pity—I arrived a step too late. Someone else had already recognized it earlier. This time, the reputation of our several pawnshops has taken a hit. Such a precious item, and not a single one of us managed to identify it." Hu Zonglin shook his head.

"Who was it that recognized it?" Han Yigui asked curiously as well.

To be honest, the appraisers in those pawnshops along the pawnshop street all had decades of sharp-eyed experience. This misjudgment was truly due to a lack of information—they were biased from the start, unaware that there were two versions of Han Xizai's Night Revels, which is why they lost face.

"A man named Luo Jiu." At this point, Hu Zonglin let out another bitter laugh.

Luo Jiu had only recently appeared in Nanjing. It was said he had made a fortune digging for gold beyond the pass, a pure upstart. For a while, he had been running around trying to open a money exchange. At the time, he visited each shop one by one, but since Nanjing already had plenty of pawnshops and money exchanges, naturally no one was willing to let another person enter the industry and take a share of the pie. As a result, he faced no shortage of obstacles.

He had been quiet these past few days, and everyone thought he had retreated in the face of difficulty and left. Who would have thought that with this incident, he had thoroughly humiliated everyone.

It really was both laughable and frustrating.