All language subtitles for The Heir 2026 Episode 13

[The Heir]

[Episode 13]

-Li Ink Workshop's ink testing event.
-Everyone's gone to Tian Ink.

Come and have a look.

Jinhe.

-Good things take time. Be patient.
-This is outrageous!

Li Ink Workshop's
ancient lacquer-soot ink testing event.

Come and have a look, everyone.

Let's wait a little longer.

Come on in and have a look.

Li Ink Workshop's
ancient lacquer-soot ink testing event.

-You were saying...
-Mother.

Jinhe, Rujun.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

That day, Lord Yan set a challenge
for all the ink makers.

Who would have thought

that Zhen would beat us all to the punch

and be the first to recreate
this ancient lacquer-soot ink?

Congratulations.

But where is Zhen now?

Zhen went to the street corner
to welcome Lord Yan.

Since she solved his challenge,

it's only right that she personally
presents him with the final result.

I, Li Zhen, humbly welcome Lord Yan.

Lower the sedan chair.

Zhen?

We are still some distance away
from Sibao Street.

Why are you stopping my sedan here?

I want to ease your concerns, Lord Yan.

That is why I waited for you here.

Ease my concerns?

Alright, then tell me.

What concerns do I have?

Lord Yan,

with invitations from
both the Li family and the Tian family,

you came to Sibao Street today.

I'm afraid you're troubled
over

which house to visit first
and which to visit later.

Logically speaking,
this ancient lacquer-soot ink

was a challenge personally issued by you.

And I was lucky enough to make the ink,

so you should visit Li Ink first.

But the Tian family has great influence,

and is on close terms
with the county magistrate.

You can't afford to offend them as well.

My Lord, you delayed

your departure by the time
it takes to burn one incense stick.

I assume this was weighing on your mind.

Then tell me.

What brilliant solution do you have?

Lord Yan,

you simply need to take a different route.

A different route?

My Lord, if you continue straight ahead,

you'll enter Sibao Street
through the south gate.

Within a few steps, you will find
the Tian Ink Workshop.

It would be impossible to
pass their doors without entering.

But if you

make a turn right here,

you'll enter Sibao Street
through the north gate.

Li Ink Workshop is the closest
to the north gate.

That way, it would be perfectly reasonable

for you to visit Li Ink Workshop first.

Lead the way.

Yes, My Lord!

Raise the sedan chair.

This way.

Please come in.

Benchang!

Benchang!

Benchang!

What's the rush?

Li Zhen is leading Lord Yan's sedan chair.

They just made a turn up ahead!

We've been played by Li Zhen.

Follow me.

Tian Benchang.

What are you doing here?

Step aside.

I, Tian Benchang,

humbly welcome Lord Yan to Tian Ink.

Young Master Tian,
coming all this way to greet me—

thank you for your trouble.

Today, Tian Ink

is holding an ink testing event
for the Baibao Ink.

County Magistrate, Lord Zhao,
is also invited

and is waiting to speak with you.

That is why he specifically sent me here

to welcome you, my Lord.

Young Master Tian,

today the Li Ink

is also holding an ink testing event
for the lacquer-soot ink.

And this lacquer-soot ink

was a challenge Lord Yan himself
set for the Huizhou ink industry.

Now that the ink has been recreated,

Lord Yan should
naturally visit Li Ink first

to inspect and verify the results.

Young Master Tian, calm down.

You only need to wait two more hours.

Li Zhen.

Lord Yan is the court appointed
Ink Affairs Official.

He is also a local magistrate.

He should treat every ink workshop fairly.

You intercepted his sedan chair halfway—

are you trying to give Lord Yan

a bad reputation for favoritism?

Tian Benchang,

what nonsense are you talking about?

The County Magistrate has arrived.

Greetings, Lord Yan.

Lord Zhao.

I've been occupied
with official duties recently

and haven't had the chance to visit you.

I hope you don't mind.

You are too courteous.

You are the local official of Shexian,

I should have visited you long ago.

What a coincidence.

The Tian family is holding
an ink testing event today.

Lord Yan, why not accompany me

and have a look?

What do you say?

After you.

Very well. Please.

Please follow me.

Zhen.

I know you were the one

who solved Lord Yan's challenge.

But that alone won't be enough

to steal the spotlight today.

In the ink industry,

you can't make a name for yourself

based solely on a few fine sticks of ink.

After all, you're only a woman.

Don't push yourself too hard.

Likewise, likewise.

Today, the Tian family is
offering a 30% discount.

Isn't that because you were
afraid the ink merchants

would be drawn away
by Li Ink's ancient lacquer-soot ink?

So you're selling at a loss now?

Everything I said

was for your own good.

Thank you, Young Master Tian.

I don't need it.

Lord Yan and Lord Zhao have arrived!

[Yaji Hall]

Lower the sedan chair.

Lord Yan.

Please.

Lord Zhao.

This way.

Lord Yan.

[Sihe Ink]

Just as I expected,

another petty opportunist
who only protects his own interests.

Don't talk nonsense.

Lord Zhao

is a local governing official after all.

Lord Yan came from the capital,

so Lord Zhao must show him some courtesy.

Mother.

The auspicious hour is almost here.

With the Ink Affairs Official absent,

who exactly are we
holding this ink testing event for?

Be patient.

Fine wine fears no dark alley.

As long as Li Ink produces fine ink,

why should we fear
that customers won't come?

Calm down.

Prepare the brushes and paper.

Once Mr. Dongtu arrives,

we shall begin the ink testing at once.

Sixth Grandfather.

People have to smell fine wine first.

If we don't make a good first impression,

it'll be difficult
to break into the market later.

Everyone understands that.

The point is that
customers have to show up first.

Since no one is here right now,

what can we do about it?

Doggie.

Come over and give us a hand.

This Baibao Ink is as resilient
as iron and stone,

as lustrous as black jade,

and as fragrant as orchids.

It truly is a rare, fine-grade ink.

Very good.

You flatter me.

What's the point of drawing a crowd
if they're only here to watch?

All this shouting,

can it bring Lord Yan here?

I just want to draw Lord Yan

right into Li Ink Workshop.

Master Qi and Mr. Dongtu have arrived.

Mr. Dongtu.

Master Qi.

Seventh Old Madam.

Mount Qiyun is far away.

Please forgive me for my late arrival.

Thank you for coming, Mr. Dongtu,

to test the ink for Li Ink.

You are too courteous, Seventh Old Madam.

Mr. Dongtu, please.

This way, please.

An open-air ink testing event?

This is the first time I've ever seen one.

Our young friend Li Zhen

always does things in unexpected ways.

But it's quite interesting.

Very interesting indeed.

Mr. Dongtu, you flatter me.

Today, I must rely on

your splendid skills.

Miss Li Zhen, a word in private.

The Tian family is truly despicable.

I heard they intercepted Lord Yan halfway.

The favorable wind you were counting on
has now shifted to their side.

What are you going to do?

Since we can't be the first,

then we'll be one of a kind.

Master Qi,

you have wide connections in Huizhou.

Could you bring more people over
to build up momentum?

No problem.

Go ahead.

I wonder if Master Qi's plan will work.

Let's go and see.

Mr. Dongtu is painting
at Li Ink Workshop right now.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Indeed.

I heard that Mr. Dongtu

deliberately left
a blank space for an inscription.

Now he is quietly waiting
for someone worthy to inscribe it.

If we seize the right moment

and manage to write a poem
on Mr. Dongtu's painting,

our names will be remembered for ages!

Then let's not waste any time. Let's go.

Please.

Very well.

Lord Yan.

Lord Zhao, what fine calligraphy.

Something suddenly occurred to me.

Today, the Li family
is also holding an ink testing event

for their ancient lacquer-soot ink.

As the Ink Affairs Official,

I should be there to witness it.

It happens that Mr. Dongtu
is painting there,

and waiting for someone to inscribe it.

Come to think of it,

you know how valuable
Mr. Dongtu's paintings are—

even the Imperial Palace collects them!

If we seize this opportunity

you and I

inscribe Mr. Dongtu's painting together,

then once this painting
becomes famous in the future,

wouldn't that make a great story for us?

Alright.

Time waits for no one.
Opportunities like this are rare.

Let's go right now.

Lord Yan.

Lord Yan,

My Lords, please stay.

Lord Zhao, Lord Yan.

It won't be too late
to leave after a cup of tea!

The Li family has plenty of fine tea.

Please stay, Your Lordships!

[Sihe Ink]

Is this the
Xin'an River Landscape painting?

You have a sharp eye, sir.

This is the
Xin'an River Landscape painting

that Mr. Dongtu
just painted for the Li family,

using ancient lacquer-soot ink.

Everyone, you may take a closer look.

After all, she's still young
and inexperienced.

She thought things
were simpler than they are.

As if the Lords'd appear out of nowhere.

-Painted with Li Ink's ancient lacquer-soot ink.
-Lord Yan and Lord Zhao have arrived.

Make way.

Make way.

I, Li Zhen, humbly welcome Lord Yan

and Lord Zhao.

Seventh Grandmother!

Lord Yan and Lord Zhao have
graced Li Ink with their presence.

Seventh Old Madam,
sorry to keep you waiting.

It is a great honor for Li Ink

to receive Lord Yan and Lord Zhao today.

Your Lordships, please come in.

Greetings, Your Lordships.

Mr. Dongtu,

I've heard so much about you.

It's an honor to meet you today.

Your Lordships,

Mr. Dongtu has just tested the ink
for the Li family

and created
this Xin'an River Landscape painting.

We had yet to find someone to inscribe it,

and you two have arrived just in time.

It truly feels heaven-sent.

I wonder if you two would be willing

to inscribe the painting?

What do you think, Mr. Dongtu?

If you two were to inscribe it,

it would truly be my honor.

Seventh Grandmother,
I kept my word, didn't I?

Excellent ink.

[Zhao Shen]

Wish you a promising future.

Lord Zhao, fine calligraphy.

You flatter me.

Please bear with my humble attempt.

The Clear Stream clears my heart;
Its water flows apart.

Wonderful calligraphy. Wonderful poetry.

This Xin'an River Landscape painting

perfectly captures Mr. Dongtu's

transcendent and ethereal spirit.

Lord Yan, you flatter me.

The scenery of the Xin'an River
shifts three times a day.

For years, I could never grasp its secret.

Only through this ancient lacquer-soot ink
did I finally understand.

The addition of raw lacquer

gives the ink a deep, shimmering richness.

Combined with varying depths of ink color,

it creates this sense of flowing movement.

It was this ancient lacquer-soot ink

that made this
Xin'an River Landscape painting possible.

Lord Yan,

this Li Ink truly

has truly earned its name
as the finest Hui Ink.

A remarkable ink indeed.

Lord Yan,

now that the ancient lacquer-soot ink
has finally been restored,

I, Qi, wish to take this opportunity

to fulfill the promise I once made.

Xiao Qi.

Here is the reward of one hundred taels.

Yihousheng will award the full amount

to the first person who recreated
the ancient lacquer-soot ink—

Li Zhen.

Bravo!

Just give it to me.

It's heavy.

It's alright. I can carry it.

Put the lid back on.

Leave it open.

Bravo!

Bravo!

These are different patterns.

Do you know who designed them?

Who?

My third aunt.

She is incredibly talented.

But, Miss Li Zhen,

That pretentious yet effective move
you pulled today

was truly impressive.

I was genuinely amazed.

If Master Qi hadn't gone early

to Mount Qiyun to invite Mr. Dongtu over,

then no matter how many plans I had,

they would all have been useless.

At today's ink testing event,

Master Qi has made a huge contribution.

But speaking of contributions,

there may have been more than one today.

Lord Fan Sihai has arrived.

Fan Sihai?

Lord Fan.

Forgive us for not
coming out to greet you sooner.

You must be
the Seventh Old Madam of Li Ink.

[Fan Sihai]

I've heard so much about you.

I heard Li Ink has recreated
ancient lacquer-soot ink,

so I came to broaden my horizons.

I prepared a small gift

to congratulate Li Ink.

I brought this specifically
from Dong'e County—

authentic ejiao.

It's a fine tonic.

It can nourish one's blood
and restore vitality.

I wish the Seventh Old Madam good health

and wish Li Ink thriving prosperity.

A prominent merchant of true standing.

One of the most influential merchants.

Just like his name suggests,
he trades goods across the world (Sihai).

Wherever he places an order,

many others follow.

You won't have to worry
about selling these inks anymore.

Master Qi really kept his promise

and brought me a major ink merchant.

Let's go.

She ran fast enough.

Boiling ejiao is just like making ink.

One must endure all kinds of hardships

to achieve a fragrance that lasts forever.

Mr. Fan.

Mr. Fan.

It's been a while. Hope you've been well.

Save it.

Mr. Fan, please take a look at

the Xin'an River Landscape painting.

It's painted by Mr. Dongtu himself,

using the ancient lacquer-soot ink,

recreated by Miss Li Zhen here.

Miss Li Zhen.

The Xin'an River Landscape painting
is truly a masterpiece.

It is truly vivid and majestic.

The ancient lacquer-soot ink

is indeed extraordinary.

Such fine ink,

my merchant ships

should carry no fewer than ten chests.

Thank you for placing this order, Mr. Fan.

The pleasure is mine.

Master Fan ordered

ten chests of
Li Ink's ancient lacquer-soot ink!

Master Qi,

you actually brought Fan Sihai here.

You have my sincere respect.

You flatter me, Old Madam.

I was just lucky enough

to have done a few deals with Mr. Fan,

and earn a bit of his favor.

As far as I know,

Master Fan has never done ink business.

Yet just now, he placed an order

for ten chests without hesitation.

This

must be your doing, Master Qi.

On behalf of Li Ink,

I thank you, Master Qi.

You are very perceptive, Old Madam.

I am also a businessman.

Earlier, I discussed cooperation with you,

at the time you did not know me well,

so you declined,

and I completely understand that.

So today I asked Fan to place that order.

First,

to congratulate the great success
of the Li Ink's ancient lacquer-soot ink,

and to celebrate together with you.

Second,

to stake my own reputation

on Li Ink's future

business prospects.

And finally,

as a sincere gesture of my hope

for a partnership with Li Ink.

As for the partnership,

I hope you will agree to it.

Thank you for your hard work, Master Qi.

Have some tea.

Old Madam, do you

still have any concerns?

They say a decent businessman

prioritizes giving
over competing for profit,

and eliminates harm
before calculating gains.

Master Qi, you truly understand
the way of business.

What exactly does this mean?

A decent businessman

treats righteousness as his profit.

Cooperation should first benefit others,

eliminate any risk to them,

then consider one's own gains and losses.

Well said.

But for Li Ink's

century-old legacy,

we have never partnered or shared equity
with anyone outside the family.

It's only natural for us
to think carefully about it.

Your concerns are thoughtful, Old Madam.

But please rest assured.

I always know my boundaries.

Please take a look at this, Old Madam.

For Yihousheng's partnership with Li Ink,

we only share the profits, not the power.

We will never interfere
in any of Li Ink's decisions.

One thousand taels

invested into Li Ink's
ancient lacquer-soot ink for three years,

and Yihousheng will only
take 30% of the profits.

Here is the contract as proof.

What do you think, Old Madam?

Master Qi, you are so sincere.

I

have no reason left to refuse.

Today, I'll use tea in place of wine

to toast

our partnership.

Cheers.

Thank you, Old Madam.

[Yihousheng]

I must say, Master.

Didn't Seventh Old Madam
agree to cooperate with us?

Why do you still look

unhappy?

Did you not see what happened today?

That Zhao Shen

has always been backing the Tian family.

The Tian family swallowed up

everything the Luo family once had.

It seems over the years,

they've been handsomely
rewarding this Zhao fellow.

If I want to crush the Tian family today,

I must first remove their protector.

Xiao Qi.

Tomorrow,

send someone to keep

a close eye on this Zhao guy.

He has been taking bribes for years.

There must be evidence somewhere.

Perhaps I can use him

to uproot the Tian family completely.

Mother, we're heading to work.

Go ahead.

Mother, we're leaving.

Take care.

Sure.

Father.

You've only been an ink master
for a few days.

You haven't even found your footing yet,

how can you think about slacking off?

Father, she's been busy preparing
for the ink testing event lately.

It's rare for her to get a day off.

Just let her sleep a little longer.

Grandfather, your cough is back again.

I'll go make some pear soup for you.

Just wait here.

I'm perfectly fine.

You should sleep a little longer.

There's no rush.

It'll be ready soon.

Father, that's not what you said just now.

Your grandfather

has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

Quick, take the tea to him.

Hurry up.

Grandfather, have some tea first.

The pear soup will be ready soon.

Since you're not going to work today,

I'll take this opportunity to teach you

how to mix glue.

Sure thing, Grandfather!

That's wonderful, Grandfather.

I want to hear it.

Please go ahead.

Zhen,

it's not that I'm being unreasonable—

as an ink master in the ink workshop,

you must take responsibility for every
piece of ancient lacquer-soot ink.

You can't slack off for even a single day.

I understand.

I wouldn't dare be careless.

These past few days,

you've been at the workshop learning
glue-mixing from Master Sun.

What have you learned?

Master Sun taught me

that the key of ink lies in the glue.

If the glue is prepared well,

even inferior lampblack
can become fine ink.

But if the glue goes wrong,

the best lampblack will produce waste.

That's exactly right.

Back when Luo Ink was renowned
throughout the world,

its true distinction lays in

its exceptional method of glue-mixing.

It even pioneered its own unique method,

mixing musk powder, jade powder,

gold, and pearl powder

into the glue.

The ink produced is unbreakable

and will never fade on silk paper.

As the saying goes, "Hard as a stone for
10 years, black as lacquer in every drop."

When I was a child, I heard Father say

that Luo Ink was known
for its luxurious richness,

while Li Ink used gamboge,
egg white,

soapberry, rhinoceros horn, and vervain

to create an ink that was
moist and substantial,

valued for its depth and refinement.

Back in those days,

when your Sixth Grandfather,
Seventh Grandfather, and I

were together.

Well...

What is it?

We had such a great time together.

Mother.

Little Fish.

Mother.

Eat.

Look who's here.

Seventh Grandmother.

Zhen.

Zhen.

Mother, I'll get back to work then.

Go ahead.

Seventh Grandmother.

I haven't seen you in days—

Zhen, you've lost some weight again.

I'll have your eldest aunt

make you something delicious

and send it to the ink workshop.

Thank you, Seventh Grandmother.

Please sit down.

Seventh Grandmother, you have no idea

how much I've learned

in the ink workshop.

Zhen,

you've been working so hard.

What do you plan to do
once you've mastered everything?

Well?

Just say what's on your mind.

You grew up by my side.

How could I not know

what you're planning?

Seventh Grandmother.

The fact I can study in the ink workshop

is all thanks to you
and Sixth Grandfather.

I will always remember it.

But at the end of the day,

I'm not a member of the Li family.

If I stay in the ink workshop forever,

Uncle Jingdong and Fourth Aunt

will not stand for it either.

So your plan is to learn

as much as you can in the ink workshop,

and once you've built up enough skill,

you'll start your own business.

Am I right?

Seventh Grandmother,

you already knew?

I think about leaving every day.

You won't be upset about it, will you?

What do you think?

Back then,

you made an agreement with me.

Now that the goal has been achieved,

I certainly won't interfere
with your freedom.

But I just want to ask you one thing.

With what you've learned so far,

is it enough for you

to open an ink workshop
and run your own business?

To be honest,

right after I finished learning
from Grandfather,

I had a hundred times more confidence.

I thought as long as I knew
how to make ink,

nothing else would be a problem.

But after working inside the ink workshop,

I've realized that every part
of this business has its own complexities.

I still have so much to learn.

Compared to you, Sixth Grandfather,

Manager Shao, and Manager Sun,

I am still too far behind.

In that case,

how about I

propose another partnership to you?

The ancient lacquer-soot ink is done.

I've made a partnership

with Master Qi and Master Fan.

The ink workshop urgently needs
to increase production.

I would like to ask you

to stay and work with Li Ink

for one more year.

During this year,

besides managing the ink workshop
and increasing production,

you'll also need to develop a new ink—

one that just
like the ancient lacquer-soot ink.

Make a name for it
and open up new markets!

If the new ink succeeds,

I will give you

a five-percent share of Li Ink's profits.

The conditions might be a bit harsh,

but you should understand

that in the Huizhou's industry,

you are still a newcomer.

Don't think that
just because you have talent,

others will think highly of you.

That's great, Zhen.

This way,

you can continue learning in the workshop

with Sixth Grandfather and the others.

Seventh Grandmother...

Go back

and think it through carefully.

Then come talk to me.

Today, Seventh Grandmother
specifically came to see me.

She said

she wants me
to stay at Li Ink for another year.

And what do you

think about it?

To be honest, Mother,

what I've seen and learnd
at Li Ink these past few months

has truly opened my eyes.

Running an ink workshop well

simply cannot be done by one person alone.

It requires collective wisdom and effort,

the best glue room,

the best pounding craftsman,

and precise management

at every stage of production.

Only then can we ensure

the quality of every finished ink stick.

From a long-term perspective,

indeed,

staying at Li Ink

is the best learning opportunity.

I have no reason to refuse.

Even with so many advantages,

you're still hesitating inside,

aren't you?

Whenever I think
of what happened back then,

my heart still feels heavy.

Staying at Li Ink...

I really never thought about it before.

I know what you are thinking.

You still cannot let go

of your resentment toward the Li family.

Actually, neither can I.

However,

those are two separate things.

You've spent three years
learning ink-making,

and you finally got your career on track.

I think

you shouldn't give it up so easily

because of old grudges.

Mother.

I know.

Business is business,

and grudges are grudges.

They cannot be mixed together.

But even if I understand that,

the people of the Sixth Branch

and the Seventh Branch may not.

This time, I returned to the Li family

only to help temporarily,

without any interests involved,

so they could tolerate it.

But if I stay at Li Ink
as a manager and start taking

a share of the profits,

they'll definitely be resentful.

When that happens,

they'll find ways
to make things difficult for me.

I just want to learn ink-making well.

I don't want to deal with all of that.

And most of all,
I don't want to put Seventh Grandmother

and Eldest Aunt in a difficult position.

My good daughter

really has grown up.

You've thought this through

far more clearly than I expected.

Now that

the pros and cons are obvious,

neither choice is wrong.

I will support you either way.

Zhen,

remember.

if you choose to leave Li Ink Workshop,

I'll have a hot meal ready
and waiting for you.

If you choose to stay,

remember,

I'm not such a narrow-minded person.

Just go and do what you want.

Don't worry about me being upset.

Mother.

I'm hungry.

I left something delicious
for you in the pot.

I completely forgot about it.

[Zhengxin Hall]

Aunt Rujun, that's unreasonable.

Working with that girl
to recreate the ancient lacquer-soot ink

was only a temporary measure.

Now that the ink is made,

why should we let her stay
in the ink workshop?

Zhen saved Li Ink in its hour of need.

No matter what happened in the past,

we should be grateful to her.

Sister-in-law.

Hearing you say that,

I think that girl is really something.

But then again,

she did help us,

we didn't mistreat her either.

Not only did she get the hundred taels
of reward from Master Qi,

she also used the foundation of Li Ink

to gain fame and wealth for herself.

If she stays another year,

won't the entire Li Ink business

fall under her control?

Enough.

You all know

that girl now

has both fame

and skills.

If you don't want her,

every ink workshop in Huizhou

will beg for her to join them.

Father,

why are you speaking up for that girl too?

Have you forgotten how Li Ink declined?

Have you forgotten how my leg

was broken?

Your leg!

It's been 13 years,

and all you ever think about is your leg!

Just because you can't stand anymore,

does that mean
the entire Li family has to

kneel alongside you?

Jinhe,

you can't blame it all on Jingdong.

Over the years,

indeed,

I did favor Zhen

and intentionally train her.

At times, I may have gone too far,

and inevitably hurt Jingdong's feelings.

But Jingdong,

you are a descendant of the Li family.

You must think for Li Ink.

The reason I asked Zhen

to continue helping at Li Ink

is for the revival of Li Ink itself.

What I fear is that one day,

the ink workshop will fall
into the Eighth Branch's hands,

and by then,
it will be too late for regrets.

Jiangyue.

Mother.

That's enough.

With Aunt Rujun guaranteeing it,

what's there left to complain about?

Fourth Young Mistress.

Baiyi.

Did something happen to my cousin?

Something is about to happen to her.

I was worried about her,

so I asked Hong to find you

because I needed to speak with you.

Mother wants Li Zhen

to renew her contract for another year.

Another year?

That girl is quite something.

She really got the Old Madam
wrapped around her finger.

Baiyi,

I can tell you've been so focused
on work at the ink workshop

that you haven't been paying attention
to what's happening behind the scenes.

Please enlighten me, Fourth Young Mistress.

This one-year contract
is more than just a contract.

She gave Li Zhen a key

to enter the Li family.

That's unacceptable!

Fourth Young Mistress,

Zhen opposes me at every turn.

Not only did she demote me
to a junior worker,

she even has Father
watching me constantly.

If she is slightly dissatisfied,

she'll have my father scold me.

Ever since she came to the ink workshop,

she's thrown everything into chaos.

If she refuses to leave,

how are we supposed to live?

She recreated
the ancient lacquer-soot ink after all.

Mother is completely bewitched by her now.

She won't listen to us.

From now on,

the "Li" in Li Ink

may no longer be our Li.

I'd like to see her try!

Zhengyou is the legitimate heir
of the Li family.

One day, the Li family properties

will be inherited to him.

The Sixth Branch won't plan for Zhengyou,

and your cousin is too soft-hearted,

always listening to Old Madam
about everything.

You are Zhengyou's uncle.

People always say
a maternal uncle is closest to the child.

At a time like this,

he has to rely on you.

Old Madam.

Early this morning,

hand-copied recipes for lacquer-soot ink

were found outside
every ink workshop on Sibao Street.

At first,

we thought it was just a prank.

But thanks to our manager being cautious,

we confirmed

that it is our ink recipe
for lacquer-soot ink.

The ink recipe

is the closely guarded secret
of every workshop.

Once it leaks out,

other workshops

can easily copy it.

No matter how good the ink is,

it will be impossible
to sell it at a high price.

Old Madam.

The leak of the secret formula

affects not only Li Ink's business,

but also our reputation.

Seventh Grandmother.