Original subtitles

[The Heir]

[Episode 14]

Li Zhen.

Come and take a look at this.

How do you explain this?

Go on then.

This...

By this morning,

the handwritten ink recipe had already spread throughout Sibao Street.

As for this handwritten ink recipe,

I don't know what's going on—

but it has absolutely nothing to do with me.

Nothing to do with you? Then who is it supposed to be about?

Tell us, Li Zhen—

why did you do this?

I restored the lacquer-soot ink myself.

I poured my heart into it.

What would I possibly gain

from leaking the ink recipe?

I'm not stupid enough

to do something like that.

Besides,

I wasn't the only one who handled the ink recipe.

Uncle Jingdong and Sixth Grandfather

both had access to it as well.

Why am I the only one being suspected?

Because of the things the Eighth Branch has done in the past.

And now you dare try to pin this on us, the Sixth Branch?

I dare swear before our ancestors

that I didn't do this.

Do you dare to do the same?

My grandfather swore

before the ancestors back then too.

And what happened?

Didn't you still suspect him again and again—

along with the entire Eighth Branch?

Uncle Jingdong,

what I don't understand is this:

if you refuse to trust someone in the first place,

then what good is an oath?

Besides,

we, the Eighth Branch

were removed from the Li family ancestral hall long ago.

We no longer have anything to do

with the Li family's ancestral tablets.

Listen to her.

She's practically severed all ties with the Li family—

even denying her own ancestors.

Jiangyue.

Wanyi.

We've treated her quite well, if you ask me.

We gave her money and gave her an opportunity,

only for her to repay us with betrayal.

What a fine accusation of betrayal.

Fourth Aunt,

since you're placing such a serious charge on me,

what evidence

do you have

that I leaked the ink recipe?

What more evidence do we need?

Before you came here,

our family never once had an ink recipe leaked.

So tell me—

why is it that ever since you arrived,

the ink workshop has been plagued by one problem after another?

If it wasn't you,

then who else could it be?

Mother, Wanyi,

I could tell long ago this girl was up to no good.

We can't take in someone who'll only turn on us.

Enough.

All of you, be quiet.

This is not the time

to decide who is responsible.

We need to deal with the problem in front of us.

Jingdong,

contact the ink merchants immediately

and inform them

that the Li family

will provide appropriate compensation.

Yes.

Jinhe,

please also inform the Literary Association

and Lord Yan.

Zhen,

I believe

you would never do something like this.

Go back for now.

I will

give you an explanation afterward.

Seventh Grandmother,

I cannot leave like this while my name is still under suspicion.

Since everyone is here,

then let me make myself clear.

First,

I, Li Zhen, took on the restoration

of the ancient lacquer-soot ink as legitimate paid work.

The Li family owes me nothing, and I owe the Li family nothing in return.

Second,

I did not leak the ink recipe,

and I will not allow anyone to slander me

as they please.

I will

investigate this matter thoroughly

and expose whoever has been scheming behind the scenes.

Just wait and see.

Master,

this thing started circulating

from who knows where this morning,

and the Li family is already in complete chaos because of it.

Miss Li Zhen was so furious she stormed off.

This is too aggressive to be a coincidence—

someone must be pulling the strings behind the scenes.

This concerns our profits from Li Ink.

We can't just sit back and do nothing, Master.

Xiao Qi,

keep a close eye on things

and report back to me at once if anything happens.

Manager Shao.

Miss Li Zhen.

I know

you've been wronged.

But the Young Master gave strict orders—

until the matter is fully investigated,

I can't let you into the ink workshop.

Manager Shao,

I'm here because of the leaked ink recipe.

I do have a favor to ask,

but I promise I won't cause you any trouble.

What is it?

I'd like to borrow the employment records

of the Li's Ink Workshop over the years.

Manager Shao, you really have kept the employment records

of Li's Ink Workshop

impeccably organized all these years.

Every worker at Li Ink

has their arrival and departure times

clearly recorded.

Miss Li Zhen,

these are only employment records for the ink workshop.

What insight could you possibly gain from them?

Manager Shao,

look at the handwriting on the ink recipe.

The person who copied it

has a distinctive habit:

when writing horizontal strokes,

they always slant them upward,

and when writing vertical strokes,

they never return the brush upward.

And on these employment records,

every ink-maker wrote down

their own name personally.

That's why

I want to track this person down through their handwriting.

Miss Li Zhen, you're quite sharp.

But how can you be sure

the person who copied the ink recipe

once worked at Li Ink?

Whoever leaked the ink recipe

must be connected to the Li's Ink Workshop.

I'm not completely certain,

but to clear my name,

I can only try my best.

Manager Shao,

come quickly and take a look.

I think I've found the person.

[Ge Laoliu]

I remember him.

Five years ago,

the ink workshop hired him.

He worked in the lampblack-making workshop for less than half a month.

He repeatedly cut corners and passed off inferior goods,

so I kicked him out.

Zhen,

this Ge Laoliu

is a notorious scoundrel on this street.

He's in debt to every restaurant

and tavern on this street.

He's definitely here.

Nice!

Over there.

Waiter,

more wine.

No money, no wine.

What money?

I'll kick you to death—do you believe it?

Remember this—

wait until you're somewhere with fewer people before making a move.

Knock him out, then tie him up.

Don't fight him head-on.

Zhen,

don't show yourself. Go back to the old ink workshop and wait.

I'll bring him to you.

Hurry, hurry, Ge Laoliu is leaving!

Alright.

Quick, quick.

Watch yourself.

Don't touch me!

W-What's going on, buddy?

Cut the nonsense!

I'll beat you to death!

Don't come any closer.

Don't come any closer!

Weapons have no eyes! Weapons have no eyes! Weapons have no eyes!

Zhengliang!

Weapons have no eyes!

Hit him, Zhen!

Don't come over.

Don't come over.

Don't—

How can you bully a girl like that?

He's still breathing.

I was too rough.

Are you alright?

Master Qi,

w-why are you here?

Your "Weapons have no eyes!"

echoed through the skies!

Zhengliang,

are you alright?

Did he hit your stomach?

I'm fine, I'm fine.

Just a little.

No cuts, right?

No, no, mo.

Miss Li Zhen…

this...

this is yours?

Yes, it's mine.

You're better suited to making ink.

Here,

keep this knife for now.

How about this—

he leaked the ink recipe.

Since I'm also a part-owner,

I'll take care of him from here.

Wait.

Master Qi, I know you mean well,

but it's because of this man

that I was falsely accused by the Li family.

So

I have to interrogate him myself.

That works too.

At least

let me carry him back for you.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you.

That's a lot of strength…

Xiao Qi,

could I borrow your blade?

This is my master's blade.

Miss Li Zhen, feel free to use it.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you.

Zhengliang, let's go.

What did I just tell you?

Ge Laoliu,

sober now?

Open your eyes and look closely—

do you know who I am?

You're…

that girl who restored the lacquer-soot ink?

That's right.

That's me.

I've never seen you

at the Li's Ink Workshop before.

Master,

isn't interrogation

our specialty?

They're actually doing it themselves?

You scared me— I thought it was someone big.

This is a rare opportunity.

Let them have their fun first.

I'm telling you—

I'll go take another look.

Don't you come at me

with that "head of the house" attitude!

A woman

should stay at home,

serve her man properly.

Always running around in public—

aren't you ashamed?

Watch your mouth!

I-I'll say it anyway.

You still want to fight men for power?

I'm telling you,

I'll make you

drop that idea sooner rather than later.

Stop filling your head with nonsense.

Hit him!

Master, that guy's hitting him—

he's got quite a bit of strength.

Let him practice his skills a bit.

Ge Laoliu,

do you think saying things like that will make me angry?

I'm not angry at all.

Your words

have actually made things a little clearer in my mind.

Looks like your mole at the Li family

hasn't stopped whispering

in your ear.

The more you insult me,

the more it proves how outstanding I am—

you just can't compare to me.

So if you know what's good for you,

you'd better confess right now

who your mole in the Li family is.

I, Ge Laoliu,

don't know what's good for me.

Don't know what's good for you, huh?

Alright, alright, alright.

That mole of yours

must have paid you a good sum of silver

and promised you

a bright future

once this whole mess blows over.

But now that everything's out in the open,

if you don't confess,

I'll turn you over to the authorities.

We'll see

who dares to protect

a useless pawn like you.

Trying to scare me?

You've got no proof.

That ink recipe?

I picked it up on the street—that's all.

What can the officials do to me?

Besides, once this blows over,

I'll be perfectly fine and come out unscathed.

Perfectly fine?

Sounds like your mole

only told you half the truth.

You haven't grasped the key secret

of the ancient lacquer-soot ink at all.

Master,

she's drawn the blade.

Take a look at this.

[Qi]

Qi… Qi… Qi…

That's right.

It stands for Marshal Qi.

The owner of this blade

is Qi Jiu,

the master of Yihousheng.

This technique is a bit crude.

Very crude.

This Qi Jiu—

he's one of Marshal Qi's men.

When Master Qi first came to Huizhou,

his very first business venture

was partnering with the Li family on the ancient lacquer-soot ink.

But now,

by spreading that ink recipe around,

you've made it impossible to produce the ancient lacquer-soot ink.

This doesn't

just affect the Li family—

it also hits Master Qi's interests.

And Master Qi?

He's ruthless and cold-blooded,

kills without mercy,

and he's certainly not as easy to deal with as I am.

Right now, Master Qi

is behind that door.

If you stubbornly fall into his hands…

there will be blood.

there will be bloodshed.

Sun Baiyi.

Go on.

It was Sun Baiyi who gave me the ink recipe.

I really didn't expect it—

I could perform so well.

He caved in immediately when questioned.

Of course,

Master Qi's blade

helped me a lot.

This blade is really amazing!

This blade,

in your hands, was used with remarkable skill—

and your story

was told with equal brilliance.

I had no choice.

To make him tell the truth,

I had to make things up.

"Make things up"?

This blade

is a military saber from the Qi Army.

So… you've actually

killed people with it?

He's teasing you.

Ge Laoliu mentioned a guy named Sun Baiyi—

Miss Li Zhen, do you know him?

More than just knowing him—

he's my sworn enemy

and has always been against me.

He's a cousin

of my eldest aunt.

I guess he's worried that me staying long in the Li family

will get in the way of his family's attempt

to use Zhengyou to climb higher.

I'll keep Ge Laoliu in custody for you for now.

So, what's your plan next, Miss Li Zhen?

What else can I do?

Naturally, I'll clear my name

openly and honorably.

If you need help,

don't hesitate to come to the two of us.

Aunt Rujun,

Baiyi grew up right under your watch.

His father, Sun Dahe, has also been

a long-time worker at Li Ink.

I simply cannot believe

he would be the one behind this.

There's definitely something fishy going on here.

Maybe some outsiders

are trying to stir up trouble.

If witnesses aren't enough,

I have physical evidence as well.

Seventh Grandmother,

this is the original draft of the ink recipe

that Sun Baiyi gave Ge Laoliu.

Manager Shao.

This is Sun Baiyi's handwriting.

Go.

Arrest him at the ink workshop!

Wanyi.

Jiangyue.

After all,

Sun Baiyi is your paternal cousin,

and he has always been quite close to Zhengyou.

Right now Mother is so angry—

if you, as the elder sister, don't intervene,

the punishment will probably be severe.

He's really making me furious.

How could he

do something so utterly reckless?

At this point,

I'm afraid

only Master Sun can save him.

Whatever the case,

Sun Baiyi is still Master Sun's

only son.

Yes.

I'll go find Uncle right away.

Go gather all of Master Sun's

apprentices for me.

Kneel properly.

Old Madam.

This is a duplicate key

to the warehouse that we found on Sun Baiyi.

The witnesses and evidence are all in order.

I...

I won't do it again, Old Madam!

Old Madam, I was wrong!

Old Madam, I'll never do it again!

I know I was wrong, Old Madam!

Old Madam! Old Madam!

Silence.

For centuries, the Li Ink has always placed

integrity and trust above all else, both within and outside the family.

You've committed such a grave offense—

if we do not punish it severely,

how can we uphold the principles

of "upright and honorable"?

Manager Shao,

the ink workshop rules are clearly written

and laid out.

What should be done—

tell us.

Reporting to Old Madam,

ink recipes are not only the foundation of our trade,

but also affect the livelihood and future of all ink-makers.

Sun Baiyi's actions

constitute grave disloyalty and injustice.

According to the rules of the Li's Ink Workshop,

all his earnings should be confiscated,

both his hands severed, and he should be expelled from

the workshop as a warning to others.

Take him away.

Old Madam!

Old Madam...

I beg you—let me take my son's punishment.

Old Madam.

Father…

I am unfilial...

I am unfilial...

When a son is not taught properly, it is the father's fault.

My son has committed a monstrous crime,

and as his father,

I cannot escape responsibility.

I am

willing to take the punishment

of having my hands severed in Baiyi's place.

Master Sun,

don't say such things.

This has nothing to do with you.

Old Madam,

I only have one son…

Though he is unworthy,

how can a father

bear to watch his son have his hands severed?

Please grant my request, Old Madam.

Old Madam,

Master Li Liu,

we came here to speak up

for Master Sun.

He has worked diligently for the Li family for decades

and has made great contributions.

Since old times, it has been a principle that a father's debt is repaid by the son,

and a father's kindness is inherited by the son.

Even nobles in the capital, when they commit crimes,

are often spared harsh punishment

due to ancestral merits.

We beg you, Old Madam, to show mercy

and spare

the hand-severing punishment.

We beg Old Madam for mercy.

Everyone in the Li's Ink Workshop

must always keep the words "Upright and Honorable"

engraved in their hearts.

Rujun,

they do have a point.

After the Tribute Ink case back then,

many ink workshops offered Master Sun

large sums to hire him away,

but he refused them all.

And all these years,

it's thanks to him keeping the glue room running

that Li Ink's production was maintained.

Mother, Baiyi is my paternal cousin.

He committed a grave mistake,

and by all rights I should not interfere.

But I ask

that you consider how Master Sun

has devoted most of his life to the Li family.

He's already advanced in age.

Mother, I hope you can show leniency.

Wanyi,

get up.

Mother.

Zhen,

you've suffered the most because of this.

What punishment do you think is appropriate?

Since the family and workshop rules

are clearly written,

a father cannot take the punishment for his son.

But I will never forget the kindness Eldest Aunt

has shown me

and the Eighth Branch.

The hand-severing punishment may be spared,

but the rest of the punishment cannot be avoided.

I trust Seventh Grandmother

will give me a fair resolution.

Very well.

The hand-severing punishment will be reduced to flogging.

From today onward, Baiyi and his father are expelled from the ink workshop

and shall never be hired again.

Thank you, Old Madam, for your mercy!

Thank you, Old Madam, for your mercy!

Disperse.

Wait.

Sun Baiyi caused a great disaster and should be punished,

but I believe the real culprit is someone else.

The person who most deserves to be expelled from the ink workshop

is her,

Li Zhen.

Jiangyue,

stop talking nonsense.

I am not talking nonsense.

This is ridiculous.

Somehow, the victim

has become the culprit in your eyes.

Fourth Aunt,

I really want to ask—

what have I done wrong?

You made one successful ink stick

and suddenly started looking down on everyone else.

Rules and reason should still leave room for human feeling.

Today, so many people pleaded for Baiyi,

yet you alone refused to let the matter rest.

In front of everyone,

you pressured your seventh grandmother

into ruling in your favor, disregarding the bigger picture entirely.

You are truly cold-hearted and ungrateful.

The very first lesson I learned at the Li's Ink Workshop

was that without rules, there can be no order.

A wrong is still a wrong.

No amount of sentiment

should blur the line between right and wrong.

Otherwise,

what is the point of having family rules and workshop rules at all?

If we were truly following the family rules,

you shouldn't even be here.

You were expelled from the clan in disgrace,

yet instead of staying in line,

you're scheming with wild ambition.

Why do you think Sun Baiyi stole the recipe?

If you hadn't been coveting the Li Ink business

and scheming to seize power and property,

why would he risk committing such a crime

just to protect Zhengyou's position

as heir?

To seize power and property?

If you want to go after me,

then go ahead—no need to throw dirt on me.

Anyone with eyes can see clearly.

I believe

justice lives in people's hearts.

If you truly had no intention of seizing power and property,

then after restoring the ancient lacquer-soot ink,

why insist on shamelessly staying at the Li's Ink Workshop?

Weren't you trying to take over Li Ink

and become the head of the Li family?

Tian Jiangyue,

stop trying to drive a wedge between people.

Never once have I had such intentions.

Right now, you haven't secured your footing yet,

so naturally you wouldn't reveal your ambitions.

But what about a year from now?

And Two years?

And Three years?

Wanyi,

Li Zhen is refusing to leave.

Even if you don't say it out loud,

you must feel upset inside.

Open your eyes and see clearly.

Don't let this villain trick you.

Tian Jiangyue, stop talking nonsense.

I have never once thought that way about Zhen.

Wanyi, since you refuse to say it,

let me be the villain

for you and Zhengyou.

[Seventh Branch's Legitimate Grandson: Li Zhengyou, Son of Sun Wanyi]

Believe it or not,

if Li Zhen stays today,

then once she gains power and takes control of the family assets,

the ones driven out in the future will be Wanyi and Zhengyou.

Tian Jiangyue,

stop spewing nonsense.

Eldest Aunt.

Zhen.

Zhengyou,

how could you hit your sister?

She's not my sister.

Mother, this is our home.

No one gets to drive us out.

Bastard!

How could you speak like that?

Who taught you to speak like that?

Go back inside.

Take him away.

Mother.

For the harmony of the Li family,

and for the preservation of Li Ink,

Li Zhen

must not remain at the Li's Ink Workshop.

Wherever she came from,

send her back there.

Old Madam,

please expel Li Zhen from the Li's Ink Workshop.

That's right! Throw her out! Get her out of here!

Enough!

Silence, all of you!

Seventh Grandmother,

you needn't feel upset for my sake.

Since things have come to this,

I may

as well

say everything clearly once and for all.

From the day I began restoring ancient lacquer-soot ink

to the truth behind the leaked ink recipe coming to light,

I, Li Zhen, have never done anything to betray the Li family.

I came here for the craft of ink-making,

openly and honorably.

Never once did I intend

to fight any of you for power or profit.

Yet you all

feared I would seize the main family estate

and overshadow Li Zhengyou, the legitimate heir of the main line,

so you kept forcing me into a corner time and again.

I've endured this long enough.

I won't endure it any longer.

Seventh Grandmother,

thanks to your kindness,

I was able to study at the Li's Ink Workshop,

and I will always be deeply grateful.

I told them off one by one.

I'm afraid

I cannot sign it.

Seventh Grandmother,

please take care of yourself.

Listen well, all of you.

You are not driving me away today—

I, Li Zhen,

simply refuse to keep company with the likes of you,

want no part in your filthy schemes,

nor wish to remain among people

who twist right and wrong.

From this day forward,

I, Li Zhen, will have nothing whatsoever

to do with the Li family.

[He Garden]

I'm back.

Zhen is back.

Look,

I've made all your favorite dishes today.

Mother,

how is the mandarin fish so big?

Your grandfather

bought it especially for you.

It's still fresh.

Go rest for a bit—

dinner will be ready soon.

Go ahead.

What's the occasion today?

Why did you cook so many dishes?

Your grandfather said you've been working so hard these past few months,

and you've really lost weight.

So he didn't just buy the fish—

he also had us prepare this meal

to help you recover and build your strength.

Thanks, Grandfather.

Zhen, eat more of this fish.

Your grandfather bought it especially for you.

Come on, eat more.

Have some more.

Everyone already knows

about the ink recipe incident.

It's all over the streets.

You'd have to be deaf not to hear it.

Those Li family people

are truly despicable.

Mother, don't worry.

Today at the Li family,

I gave them a piece of my mind one by one.

I didn't suffer any loss.

Good.

I've always told you—

when you come home,

I'll have hot food waiting for you.

But out there,

no matter what happens, you must protect yourself.

Don't ever let anyone push us around.

Grandfather,

I've returned the contract

Seventh Grandmother gave me.

Since the Li family doesn't welcome me,

there's no point in me staying.

Zhen,

you've been working on the ancient lacquer-soot ink

these past few months— you must be exhausted.

Why not

take this chance

to rest properly?

Yes,

listen to your grandfather.

Get some good rest.

I don't want to rest.

Even though I've left the Li family,

my determination to make ink

hasn't changed at all.

Rather than

working in someone else's ink workshop

and living under their scrutiny

and control,

I'd rather

be my own master.

I've made up my mind—

I want to use the hundred taels of prize money

from Master Qi

to open my own ink workshop.

Open an ink workshop?

Yes. One that belongs to us—

the New Li's Ink Workshop.

Zhen,

opening a workshop

It's not as easy as you think.

Grandfather,

I know it's difficult.

But where there's a will, there's a way.

If I have the skill

and give it my all,

why wouldn't I succeed?

You've only been learning ink-making for a few years,

and you're already speaking so boldly?

Grandfather,

do you think I'm not capable

of opening this ink workshop?

Or is it that, deep down,

you don't want me to open it at all?

Grandfather,

let's have a proper talk, just the two of us.

Please open the door.

It's alright—

even if you don't,

I'll just stand here and say it.

In truth,

what you've always held onto in your heart is still the main family.

You still want me to go back, don't you?

I know

you've always hoped I would return to the orthodox Li Ink lineage.

But during these past few months in the main family,

what I saw was nothing but a house in disarray,

with everyone harboring their own schemes.

A family

that should have worked together in unity

has been

reduced to suspicion and calculation.

I don't want to be part of such a Li Ink anymore.

All these years,

apart from Seventh Grandmother

and Eldest Aunt, who truly stood by me,

The others are still the same.

As long as I remain there,

things like this— being framed through ink recipe leaks,

being hurt—

will happen again.

They never treated me as family,

so why should I treat them as family?

That Li Ink is not worth holding onto.

Grandfather,

I only want to make my own New Li's Ink Workshop well.

From now on,

our family will live properly together,

steadily and peacefully—

that will be enough.

I know

you may not understand this yet,

but no matter what,

whether you accept it or not,

whether you forgive me or not,

I am going to open

this New Li's Ink Workshop.

[Deep as the sea, kinship entwined]

Xiao Qi,

what are you looking at?

Master,

I just saw Miss Li Zhen walking past over there.

It looked like she was asking about shop rentals.

Don't tell me she's planning to start her own business?

Miss Li Zhen…

Master,

you've been paying quite a lot of attention to her lately.

Why don't we be generous this time

and invest in her venture?

Fine.

I'll use your salary to invest.

Master, that won't do!

Zhen, you're back.

-Father. -Grandfather.

You don't need to leave in such a hurry—

we can wait until Zhen returns and discuss it properly,

-Okay? -Mother.

Grandfather.

Zhengliang.

Mother.

I've already rented the shop for the New Li's Ink Workshop.

Grandfather,

where are you going with your bags packed?

Zhengliang,

hurry and pack.

We're leaving right away.

Grandfather...

Hurry.

A few days ago, didn't your uncle in Wuyuan

say he wanted to take your eldest brother

to do inkstone business?

When your grandfather heard your brother wanted to go,

he immediately packed up

and insisted on going with him.

Your brother, his wife, and I

have tried persuading him all morning,

but he won't listen at all.

Please, say something to him quickly.

Father, look,

if you want to go, there's no need to rush.

Wait a few days until I've arranged everything properly,

then you can set off. Alright?

Grandfather…

Zhengliang.

Hurry up.

Zhen,

you know

what your grandfather is like.

Don't dig in your heels with him—

his health can't handle a long trip.

This is for Grandfather.

Make sure he takes it.

Mother, we're leaving.

Zhengliang! Zhengliang!

Take this. Take this.

Zhen got this for Grandfather.

Okay.

Be careful on the road.

Zhengliang, Qiu'e,

take good care of your grandfather.

We will, Mother.

Mother, take care of yourself too.

Let's go.