Original subtitles

[The Heir]

[Episode 9]

No.

No, no.

I need a drink to calm my nerves.

Good thing I wasn't there.

If I'd seen you making lampblack blindfolded,

my heart would have...

would have leapt right out of my chest!

Zhen,

you should avoid doing

such risky things in the future.

Mother,

my lampblack-making skill was taught

by Grandfather himself.

I couldn't go wrong.

It was nerve-wracking enough!

Grandfather,

Mother,

Brother, Sister-in-law,

demonstrating my lampblack-making in front of everyone

may not have been a bad thing.

From now on, I don't think

any ink workshop

will make things difficult for me anymore.

In the future, I

want to take on outsourced lampblack work

from various ink workshops to earn a living.

Over the past three years,

besides Grandfather's careful instruction,

every hot meal Mother left outside the ink workshop,

and every coin my brother

and sister-in-law scraped together for me—

I've kept all of it deeply in my heart.

From now on,

it'll be my turn to take care of you.

Look how excited you are.

Hurry up.

Eat up, eat.

Mother, just let me finish.

I've been waiting three years

just to say all this.

Alright, go ahead.

Mother,

well,

I've only studied ink-making for three years,

and I've already produced supreme-grade lampblack.

The master craftsmen at other workshops

may not even be able to do that.

Exactly.

In the future,

just by making lampblack alone,

I can earn enough to support the family.

Once I earn enough,

I'll buy us a new house.

We'll all move in and live together.

Zhengliang, you see,

one jar of supreme-grade lampblack

is worth two taels of silver.

Do you know how many jars

of supreme-grade lampblack

it would take to buy a new house?

And I can't always

make this much every time either.

I didn't teach you ink-making

so you could become a common laborer.

Grandfather?

Grandfather,

I was wrong.

Please have some tea.

Grandfather,

I just thought

since our family might finally have good days ahead,

I was just so excited

that I got carried away.

Grandfather, rest assured.

I've never forgotten the Way of Ink

you taught me.

Remain upright and honorable,

and put the inheritance of the Way of Ink above all else.

I've only just begun.

The path of ink-making

is full of hardships.

I must guard against arrogance and impatience,

and remain vigilant and single-minded.

Ink-making

requires an undivided mind—

only then can one walk the great and righteous path!

Grandfather,

am I right?

Then let me ask you—

what is

the most essential thing in ink-making?

The most crucial step

is naturally the glue-blending.

That is merely the technique.

What is the Way?

What Way do you hold?

And how do you uphold it?

The most essential thing

can be summed up in four words—

to remain true throughout.

Remain true throughout?

Grandfather,

true to what?

To

your Way of Ink—

the principles by which you make ink.

Each person's path is different,

but

once you find yours,

you must hold fast to it with perseverance,

unwavering resolve,

and steadfast devotion.

Let no hardship or temptation

from the outside world

ever shake your conviction.

You still have a long way to go.

Grandfather,

though I haven't yet

found it,

please rest assured.

I will never stray from the path of ink-making.

Because I have you here with me!

That said, after trudging along the great path for a while,

taking a detour now and then to earn some money wouldn't hurt—

it would make life a little easier for the family, right?

But rest assured,

it won't affect my Way at all.

I'm just taking a breather along the way.

If only your ink-making skills

were as sharp

as your tongue.

All show and no substance.

Remember,

remain true throughout.

Essence and function share the same source.

Remain true throughout.

Essence and function share the same source.

Tea, Grandfather.

Thank you, Sister,

for taking care of Yihousheng for me lately.

Xue did a good job.

I simply took over at the right moment.

You've just arrived in Huizhou.

What are your plans?

As the saying goes,

"Huizhou has two treasures—

Hui Tea, fragrant for a thousand years,

and Hui Ink,

priceless beyond gold."

Since you

have gone into the Hui Tea trade,

I

will naturally pursue ink.

Your family

has made ink for generations.

It's no surprise you'd want to

enter the ink industry.

But

since you want to focus on ink,

why open this pawnshop?

Sister,

I'm currently using an assumed identity.

If I rashly open an ink workshop

and force my way to claim a share,

it will likely arouse suspicion.

Besides, I never learned how to make ink growing up.

If I were to take up the family trade,

I fear I would only end up

tarnishing my family's once-great name.

Yesterday,

on my way to Yihousheng,

I caught sight of you

from a distance,

bidding a high price for a jar of lampblack.

That's right.

Yihousheng

will open in a few days.

I want to make all of Huizhou

curious about my identity

so I can stir up anticipation before the opening.

I noticed

the Tians were there too.

Do you really have no other intentions?

When I found out

you'd asked the General

for the commission to procure military supplies

and insisted on returning to Huizhou,

I knew you were here for revenge.

But you must remember:

you came back this time after making a military pledge.

If you can't raise 10,000 taels for military provisions within half a year,

you will have to return the pawnshop and be stripped of your military post.

Brother,

we've benefited from the General's kindness for many years.

If you act rashly

and do something against the General's interests,

don't blame me

for setting aside our bonds.

Sister, rest assured.

I know

what's at stake.

Moreover, General Yu has shown me great kindness,

and I will never forget it.

Don't blame me for being harsh.

Some things

must be said up front.

Now, I know your plan

regarding the purchase of military supplies.

But what's your plan regarding the blood feud

between your family and the Tians?

Tian Huai'an...

For decades he bowed and scraped before my family,

all while plotting to seize our estate and business

to elevate his own family's standing.

Since he values the glory of his ink so much,

I will make him lose everything

at the very peak of his glory.

This year

is the year of the Tribute Ink competition.

It's the best opportunity.

Since you're not opening an ink workshop,

how do you intend to proceed?

There are many renowned ink-making families in Huizhou.

I'll assess them one by one

and choose a family to cooperate with.

The Tribute Ink commission

is no longer held by Hui Ink merchants.

The once-prosperous Li Ink

has also declined.

Chen Ink

and Pan Ink

have always been mediocre.

Among all the Hui Ink makers,

only Tian Ink

stands at the top.

Moreover,

the Tian family has close ties with Shexian Magistrate Zhao Shen.

If you try to unite another family

against them,

it won't be easy.

Zhao Shen?

They'd better stay alive long enough.

[Luo's Ancestral Hall]

The officers will raze this place to the ground

and wipe out your entire family!

Young Master!

Ancestors of the Luo family,

I...

I'm back.

Three years ago,

as a fugitive,

I finally found General Yu after much hardship.

Out of the friendship he shared with Father,

he took me into Marshal Qi's army at great risk.

I never expected

that a jest I'd made back then

would come true today.

From now on, your name will be Qi Jiu,

and you'll serve Marshal Qi alongside me.

Hurry and thank General Yu.

General Yu's life-saving grace—

I, Qi Jiu,

will never forget it.

Over the past three years,

Cuiqiao has taken great care of me.

I was deeply moved and grateful,

so we became sworn siblings.

Sister.

Brother.

I am no longer

that reckless boy

who caused you all such worry.

Unfortunately...

you can no longer see it.

Father.

Aunt.

Brother.

Today is Tomb-Sweeping Day.

I've come to burn some joss paper for you.

You're all doing well

on the other side, right?

I'm living fine too.

Although I now go by Qi Jiu,

I have never once forgotten

that my surname is Luo.

Marshal Qi is currently fighting Japanese pirates in the southeast.

I've asked him for permission

to return to Huizhou

to purchase military supplies for the Qi Army.

I...

am finally going home.

Father.

Aunt.

Brother.

One day,

I will clear the stain from your names

and bring your memorial tablets

back here—

back to our family.

I will make the Luo family

rise again.

[Yan Bingyou, Newly Appointed Ink Affairs Official]

[Yan Xianglan, Yan Bingyou's Adopted Daughter]

All along this journey,

the scenery here is truly beautiful.

They say Huizhou is a place where the land nurtures exceptional people.

It truly lives up to its reputation.

Quick,

Xianglan,

look at that mountain.

There's an ancient pine growing there.

Look.

So beautiful.

What's so great about it?

Mountains, rivers—

what do they have to do with me?

Nowhere is as good as home.

Missing home,

right?

Don't worry.

Once I finish selecting the Tribute Ink,

I'll take you

straight back to the Capital.

Father,

don't try to comfort me.

You were demoted and sent here.

Whether we can go back or not,

only heaven knows.

How dare you!

How dare you stop the carriage of an imperial official?

Lord Yan!

I have specially prepared a generous gift for you!

Please accept it.

Present it.

Lord Yan.

[Huizhou Ink Industry Records]

Who are you?

Qi Jiu, under Marshal Qi's

command.

Are you all here

to welcome Lord Yan?

Exactly.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

The Lord was delayed on the way,

so he sent me ahead with a message.

President Hu!

Tian Ink.

Here.

Chen Ink.

Pan Ink.

Li Ink.

There's one more.

Sir,

why does the Li family

have two invitations?

The Lord has his reasons

for this arrangement.

Please, everyone,

return first.

No need to wait here.

The Lord has arranged

an evening banquet at Sibao Restaurant

to meet with fellow ink makers

of Huizhou and share drinks.

All invitations have been delivered.

Please arrive

on time tonight!

President Hu,

what is

Lord Yan up to?

Has it not always been customary for the Literary Association

to host a banquet when a new official takes office?

I didn't expect this either.

Lord Yan

doesn't play by the rules.

[Invitation]

Grandfather,

what is this?

The newly appointed Ink Affairs Official, Lord Yan,

is hosting a banquet this evening at Sibao Restaurant,

inviting all ink workshop representatives.

I also received an invitation

specially sent

by Lord Yan through Seventh Grandmother.

I imagine Lord Yan

must already be aware

that you swore a solemn oath, sealed with the nailing of a tooth,

never to make ink again.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately

given the invitation

to Seventh Grandmother

to pass along.

Then do you think

I should go...

or not?

If you don't go,

slighting Lord Yan would be a minor matter—

I'm more worried that this will make

Seventh Grandmother offend Lord Yan

and end up in an awkward position.

That would also be unfavorable for Li Ink.

But if you go,

then surely Lord Yan

will make some sort of demand.

And if it concerns ink-making,

you'll be put in an awkward position.

Yes.

Grandfather,

why don't I

accompany you to the banquet this evening?

You?

Yes.

All this time, you've been the one protecting me.

Today,

let me stand behind you for once.

I'm only a junior anyway.

Even if I accidentally say something improper,

surely Lord Yan

wouldn't stoop to arguing with me.

Lord Yan,

there is

still an honored guest who hasn't arrived, right?

Please wait a moment longer.

Master Qi of Yihousheng has arrived!

Lord Yan.

Lord Yan,

I'm late.

Please forgive me.

It's fine.

Everyone,

allow me

to introduce him.

This is

Master Qi of the Yihousheng Pawnshop.

He is a man of considerable means

and intends to enter the ink industry.

Everyone here,

you can get better acquainted with Master Qi

in the future.

I hope all the senior figures in the Huizhou ink industry

will give me a chance.

Everyone,

I

have only just arrived in Huizhou.

In the future, regarding matters of the ink industry,

I will have to rely on you all

for guidance and support.

Allow me to drink this cup first as a gesture of respect.

Cheers.

Cheers.

After you, My Lord.

Okay.

On my journey here to Huizhou...

Thank you.

I must say the scenery is truly magnificent,

with white walls and black-tiled roofs—

beauty beyond compare.

Beautiful!

And yet, in my heart,

I felt a certain melancholy.

Back then,

Eighth Master Li,

the head of the Five Ink-making Grandmasters,

supported Li Ink,

helping elevate its craft to near supremacy under heaven.

The Li family held the Tribute Ink commission,

allowing

Hui Ink to retain that honor for more than a decade!

And then?

Misfortune struck.

Fortunately,

Luo Ink held the commission for several years.

But

misfortune struck them as well.

Nowadays,

the Tribute Ink commission

has been in other hands

for years.

Everyone.

What's the reason?

Was it

a matter of ill timing?

Unfavorable circumstances?

Or...

discord among people?

You may all be wondering

why I, upon arriving here,

have broken convention

and hosted this banquet myself.

The truth is, I want to have

a heart-to-heart talk with you all

and offer a few words of counsel.

The next selection for Tribute Ink is approaching.

This opportunity

must not be missed.

Everyone must work together.

Let each contribute

what they can—

money, labor, or wisdom.

Let us unite as one

to restore glory to

our Huizhou ink industry once again!

My lord, your vision is truly

far-reaching and admirable.

Our Huizhou ink industry

will certainly devote itself wholeheartedly

and will not fail your painstaking efforts.

Good.

A toast to you, My Lord.

Cheers.

Lord Yan's words are profound,

uniting the Huizhou ink industry

as one.

I deeply admire that.

On this joyous occasion,

I have also prepared a generous gift

for you, My Lord,

and all the esteemed seniors of the Huizhou ink industry.

Lord Yan,

here.

This box is rather interesting.

[Purple Clouds from the East]

Master Qi,

could it be

that what you're presenting me with is

the long-lost

ancient lacquer-soot ink?

That's right.

This piece of ancient lacquer-soot ink

is named "Purple Clouds from the East."

Legend has it that when Laozi was traveling westward through the pass,

the magistrate Yin Xi

saw purple clouds drifting over the pass

and knew

a sage was about to

pass by.

And indeed,

Laozi came riding upon a green ox.

In honor of this tale, later generations

created this ancient ink block,

which has been passed down ever since.

It symbolizes

hope

and a new beginning.

And today, Lord Yan,

you came bearing the Emperor's mandate,

breathing new life

into Shexian and even

the entire Huizhou ink industry.

Doesn't that

align perfectly with the spirit of this ancient ink?

Good, good.

Truly wonderful.

Master Qi,

you really

got me with this gift!

Thank you, Lord Yan.

I suddenly

have an idea.

Everyone,

if such a treasured ink

could

once again be recreated and passed down,

then...

wouldn't our chances of Hui Ink

claiming the top honor be all but certain?

Third Master Chen,

your family

built its name on lacquer-soot ink.

Are you willing to give it a try?

Lord Yan.

The ancient lacquer-soot ink

[Chen Junshan, son of the Chen family]

used refined lacquer lampblack.

But our family's

lacquer-soot ink today

uses coarse lacquer lampblack.

The two differ greatly.

However,

the Chen family will certainly

do its best

to...

recreate this ink.

Lord Yan,

although we Tian Ink didn't start with lacquer-soot ink,

we too are willing to try our best.

Lord Yan,

the Pan family

will also do our best.

Good.

Eighth Master Li?

Your Li Ink

has a century of heritage.

Recreating the ancient lacquer-soot ink

must

fall upon your shoulders

on behalf of Li Ink.

Lord Yan.

You may not know this, Lord Yan,

but he

has been expelled from the clan

and has sworn a solemn oath, sealed with the nailing of a tooth,

never to make ink again.

But I, Jingdong, am confident...

Lord Yan,

the ancestral laws cannot be discarded, and the clan rules cannot be violated.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me, My Lord.

As expected of you, Eighth Master Li.

Your

clan laws and ancestral rules—

all perfectly reasonable, every word.

Eighth Master Li,

allow me to ask you something—

do your clan rules and family affairs

stand above

the Emperor's affairs?

You tell me.

Lord Yan,

I'm willing to try in my grandfather's stead.

Who?

You?

A little girl?

Lord Yan,

this commoner is Li Zhen.

I've studied ink-making under my grandfather for three years.

Though I may not yet amount to much,

I believe

where there is a will, there is a way.

Therefore,

I'm willing to give it a try.

With this cup of baijiu,

I toast to you, Lord Yan.

Hold on.

Everyone,

I truly never expected

that the spirit of Li Ink

would be found in a little girl!

Girl,

with this cup,

I drink to you!

Cheers.

Congratulations, Lord Yan.

If the ancient lacquer-soot ink is successfully recreated,

the revival of the ink industry in Huizhou

may finally be within reach.

I

will contribute 100 taels of silver

as a bonus for recreating

the ancient lacquer-soot ink.

Good, good.

Master Qi is truly

open-handed!

Everyone,

hurry and toast to Master Qi.

Come on.

Cheers. Cheers.

Cheers.

Master Qi,

our Tian family

offers you a toast.

Lord Yan.

Okay, okay.

[Sibao Restaurant]

I'm fine, I'm fine.

I'm fine!

On this fine evening, with good wine,

we've all drunk together.

Good, good.

Everyone!

No need to see me out.

Lord Yan, careful.

We take our leave.

Please stay.

Let's gather another day.

Another day.

Goodbye, goodbye!

Okay, okay.

Well...

Okay.

U-Until next time.

Careful, Lord Yan.

Until next time!

We must drink together again!

Miss Li Zhen.

Master Qi, you're so generous tonight.

You're indeed a great businessman.

I'm just

an unrefined merchant of no great standing.

I only offered a prize to add to the excitement for everyone.

Master Qi, upon first arriving in Huizhou,

you made a bold entrance

by publicly bidding 15 taels of gold

for a jar of lampblack.

Then tonight,

with a single piece of ancient lacquer-soot ink,

you've won Lord Yan's favor

and drawn all the families into the game.

Even my grandfather,

who had sworn an unbreakable oath never to make ink again,

was dragged into it.

Master Qi, just how large a business

are you planning in Huizhou this time?

Since I've come to Huizhou,

naturally it's to do business related to ink.

Paying a visit to Lord Yan

was only proper.

But what you just said...

Fine.

Even if this were a game of chess,

didn't the seniors of the ink industry

willingly take their places as pieces on the board?

But you, Miss Li Zhen—

real skill breeds real nerve.

I admire that.

Perhaps one day,

you and I

could become friends

and partners in business as well.

It'd be better for us to keep our distance

and not become friends.

In business,

once friendship is involved,

it's hard to

stay professional.

Well said.

You've taught me something today.

Miss Li Zhen,

there is still much time ahead of us.

Grandfather,

let's go home as well.

Eighth Master Li,

take care.

I really didn't expect

that the girl from the Li family

would enter the game as well tonight.

Indeed.

Master,

what should we do next?

We'll take it as it comes

and watch how things develop.

Your actions tonight

were too reckless.

Grandfather,

Lord Yan has pushed you and Seventh Grandmother

into such a corner.

If no one had stepped forward to take this on,

would you

really have wanted to stand by and watch Li Ink

and Seventh Grandmother be put in such a difficult position?

Besides,

I'm your personally trained disciple

and a junior.

It's most fitting for me

to be the one to step forward.

Moreover,

having the opportunity to

recreate this ancient lacquer-soot ink

will be a test of my ink-making skills—

and an even greater benefit

to my path in the craft.

And think about it, Grandfather.

If I actually succeed in recreating the ancient lacquer-soot ink,

I'll stand to gain both fame and fortune—

that's hardly a bad thing, is it?

Master Qi has already promised

a reward of 100 taels.

I certainly can't let

those big, gleaming silver ingots

slip through my fingers.

Grandfather,

I've already accepted the task.

So stop looking so worried.

Oh, you.

Let's go, Grandfather.

Let's go home.

Master.

I saw Miss Li Zhen on the street,

failing to buy raw lacquer anywhere.

I heard all the raw lacquer on the market

has been bought up by the Tian family.

Now, within all of Huizhou,

raw lacquer is nearly impossible to obtain.

Tian family...

Could it be

they intend to monopolize all the raw lacquer

to prevent other ink workshops

from recreating the ancient lacquer-soot ink?

Since they want to prevent other ink workshops

from recreating the ancient ink,

I'll use raw lacquer

as my bargaining chip with the other workshops.

Here's the plan—

go find my sister later.

She has some connections in Fujian.

Ask her to help us source a shipment of raw lacquer from there.

Master,

Miss Li Zhen needs raw lacquer too.

Since we're buying some,

should we get her some...

Buying raw lacquer isn't something that can be done

in a day or two.

Distant water can't put out a fire nearby.

Besides,

she's a girl with ideas of her own.

She'll figure something out.

Let's talk about it later.

Since the Tian family has acted first,

[Yaji Hall]

let's go pay them a visit.

[Changsheng Garden]

[Boya Garden]

Young Master, let's go!

Changsheng Garden.

Please take the seats of honor.

I'll go get the master.

[Deshan Hall]

I told you to study at home,

yet you ran off to the Li family

and hung out with that girl from their eighth branch.

Do you think I haven't been embarrassed enough?

Father, I don't want to return to the Capital,

nor do I want to take the imperial exams.

How dare you!

Father.

I have...

just finished another inkstick.

What do you think?

Get out of my sight!

[Aloeswood and Borneol Ink Recipe]

[Master Ji's Ink Ink Craft]