Original subtitles

[The Heir]

[Episode 40]

Dear guests,

greetings.

The Li family's Sihe Ink you restored

shows exquisite craftsmanship,

comparable to what the Li family's ancestors made,

revealing the Kuroda family's extraordinary ink-making skill.

I am very impressed.

However,

this Sihe Ink is a treasure made by the Li family's ancestors

during the Southern Tang Dynasty.

Since the Southern Tang Dynasty,

the Li family's ink has been refined by later generations for hundreds of years

and flourished multiple times.

But you've still been studying

the ink-making techniques of our ancestors

from hundreds of years ago.

I think I don't need to say more

about the gap between them.

The guests have come from afar and must be tired from the long journey.

As for the participation

in the election, let's discuss it after you settle down.

Servants,

escort the guests to the post house to take a rest.

Escort the Japanese guests to the post house to rest.

We'll take our leave.

I, Li Zhen, pay my respects to you, Your Highness.

Li Zhen,

do you have confidence in beating

the Kuroda family in the ink contest?

I wouldn't dare to deceive you, Your Highness.

The ink item the Kuroda family brought today

is indeed a long-lost treasure

of Huizhou Li Ink Workshop.

Nowadays,

not only Li Ink,

but even every workshop in Huizhou

is no match for them,

I'm afraid.

Are you saying

our Great Ming

can't win this ink contest?

If the contest were held today,

Li Ink would have to admit defeat.

But there's still some time before the Tribute Ink selection.

It's still anyone's game

until the very end.

This is the aura that the Head of the Workshop

leading Hui Ink should have.

Prefect He has arrived!

I, Luo Wenqian, pay my respects to you, Your Highness.

Your Highness,

we've got a letter from General Yu.

You may rise.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Your Highness,

as our state has lifted the ban on maritime trade,

merchant ships can sail from Yue Port to the East and West Oceans.

Wherever they go, trade and business prosper.

This time, only Japan was excluded from the lifting of the ban.

General Yu found out that

the Japanese Kuroda family uses the exchange of ink-making as an excuse

to participate in the Tribute Ink selection this time.

Once they win, they will ask our Great Ming

to grant their family trading rights

at the Yue Port.

This matter involves national policy.

Hence, he sent this letter to alert you, Your Highness,

to pay more attention to it.

In addition,

the Kuroda family has always colluded with the Japanese pirates.

General Yu is worried that the pirates might take the chance to cause trouble,

so he specifically sent me here for reinforcements,

just to take precautions.

My brother let the Kurodas participate in the Tribute Ink selection this time

originally for the exchange of ink-making skills.

We didn't expect the Kuroda family to be up to something else.

Li Zhen,

if what General Yu said is true,

in this contest,

Hui Ink must emerge victorious. Failure is not an option.

It concerns our Great Ming's national maritime opening-up policy.

Do you understand?

Your Highness,

the Kuroda family came here this time,

claiming

that they learned from the ink made by the Li family's ancestors.

But now,

they're using our family's long-lost ink to provoke us.

Whether for the family or the state,

the Li family will not hesitate to sacrifice everything.

Please rest assured, Your Highness.

Li Ink will do its utmost

to give His Majesty and you, Your Highness, a satisfactory answer.

Good.

Then I will

wait and see.

There were so many people and so many things going on that night.

I didn't get a chance to talk to you properly.

Now that

you've returned to General Yu's command,

you finally have your long-cherished wish fulfilled.

Congratulations.

I dare not have any more long-cherished wishes.

I'm only repaying the favor.

For General Yu

and for you,

I'm doing the same.

Do you have any plans for the future?

I'm here on the General's orders

to guard against Japanese pirates before the Tribute Ink selection.

Besides, both professionally and privately,

I should assist you

to help Li Ink through this crisis.

So if you need anything from now on,

just let me know.

As for the future, I...

The Japanese pirates haven't been subdued yet.

Be careful and stay safe.

I know.

Where are you going?

I'm going that way.

Well,

I'll go this way.

[Elegant Ink Hall]

[Sihe House]

[Yihousheng]

Sister.

Greetings, Sister.

Wenqian!

You are finally back!

Let me take a look at you.

You haven't changed.

You haven't changed at all,

still as impressive and handsome as ever.

I am so happy to see you.

Come on, take a look around.

Ever since you left,

I haven't changed a single thing

in Yihousheng

not inside or outside.

I was waiting for you to come back.

Now that you're back,

it's time to return Yihousheng to its owner.

Sister,

although Yihousheng hasn't changed,

to me,

it feels like a lifetime has passed.

So please don't return it to me.

It is just perfect for you, Sister,

to run Yihousheng.

Alright.

I will listen to you.

Come and take a seat.

Here, have some tea.

Thank you, Sister.

What's wrong?

Wenqian,

although you've been fighting enemies on the battlefield,

do you know

that you carry less bloodthirsty aura

than you did 3 years ago?

I've grown up.

You really know me well, Sister.

Why didn't Jixiang come back with you?

The General was short-handed,

so I left him with the General.

That's good.

So what are your plans now that you're back?

The General asked me to secretly keep an eye on the Kuroda family.

I will fulfill the General's entrustment first,

and then repair our Luo family's ancestral hall

and place my family's memorial tablets inside.

Have you seen your aunt?

My aunt

cried for quite a while,

but she told me,

"Wenqian,

in this world,

there is no longer Luo Mengzhen,

"but only Ugly Granny Li."

Fate is so cruel.

The dead are gone,

but the living struggle to find peace.

It is true for your aunt,

and isn't it the same for you and Zhen?

Over the past 3 years,

every time you wrote,

every line was filled with concern for Zhen.

I think.

Zhen is not the kind of girl who is

easily trapped by worldly prejudices.

Since you can't let her go,

and you are now in the clear,

why don't you just say it outright,

court her openly, and win her back?

Sister,

actually, I have seen Zhen.

I knew when I came back this time, I would definitely see her.

So I prepared a lot of things

I wanted to say to her.

But at the very moment,

I just couldn't say a single word.

Our Luo family

and the Li family...

Now, I only wish I could

protect her by her side

and keep her safe for a lifetime.

That'd be enough for me.

I dare not ask for anything else.

It's hot. Be careful.

It's ready. Come on.

Grandfather.

Redo it.

Let's try again.

Grandfather.

Take a break.

No rush.

Let's take a rest and try again later.

We've tried so many times.

Why can't I master

the precise method of making the Sihe Ink's lampblack?

I just.

I really...

Uncle Jingdong!

Jingdong.

Why are you laughing?

Don't you guys find it weird?

The Sihe Ink brought by the Kuroda family

is almost identical

to our Li family's Sihe Ink, whether in luster

or oiliness.

It is strange, indeed.

The Sihe Ink our Li family holds has a history of at least hundreds of years.

But the Kuroda family's Sihe Ink is new!

It's no more than 10 years old, I guess?

Even if they are both of supreme quality,

there should

still be an obvious difference!

I once heard from an ink merchant

that Japan has an extremely low production of ink,

so it's much easier for them to find thousand-year-old pine timber

than it is for us.

So I think

the problem might lie in the pine timber.

No wonder.

The Li family Sihe Ink was

made by our ancestors hundreds of years ago.

Back then, they made ink by burning pine timber for lampblack.

There weren't many ink makers.

It was easy to find pine timber hundreds or even over 1,000 years old in the mountains.

But since the Song Dynasty,

the ink industry has flourished.

The usage of pine timber in Huizhou has increased gradually.

For the pine timber we're using today,

even the best is less than 100 years old.

Mr. Dongtu once thought of the same thing.

It's exactly because.

Hui Ink prospered

that the pine forests ended up getting depleted.

That explains it.

I thought it was because of my lack of talent.

I took that slap for nothing.

In this case,

we are not completely at a disadvantage.

The difficulty in finding thousand-year-old pine timber is one thing.

Even if we have it,

we would just barely

tie with them.

We still stand no chance of winning.

It's fine.

In this case,

let's just surpass our predecessors.

[Chen]

Does the problem lie in the lampblack or the glue?

Father,

don't worry.

I will go try again.

The day of the Tribute Ink selection is drawing close.

We still haven't figured out a single way

to compete with the Kuroda family.

How can I not worry?

Indeed.

Father.

If our Chen Ink can't beat them,

there's still Li Ink, Pan Ink,

and ink from Xiuning and Yi County.

The Kuroda family won't succeed.

The Kuroda family has come in full force this time.

Even we are having a hard time dealing with them,

let alone the others.

Besides,

the Tribute Ink selection this year

is not just about personal reputation,

but the pride of Hui Ink.

After all, I am one of the Five Ink-making Grandmasters.

I am supposed to shoulder this responsibility.

Third Master,

Young Master,

Miss Li Zhen invited you two to Sibao Restaurant,

asking to discuss a weighty matter with you.

Elders,

I invited you all here today

to inform you that.

Li Ink will make Liuhe (Sixfold Mixing) Ink to challenge the Kuroda family.

- Liuhe Ink? - Liuhe Ink?

There's no way!

How is that possible?

Every round of glue-mixing

in ink-making

just adds a level of difficulty.

Sihe (Fourfold Mixing) Ink is already excellent.

Realizing sixfold mixing can only be harder.

Manager Zhen.

Eighth Master Li.

How confident are you in making Liuhe Ink?

Elder,

I can't say how confident I am.

But for the Kuroda family's ink,

aside from its exquisite craftsmanship,

it also excels because of its superior raw materials.

Since it is almost impossible for us

to outdo them on materials,

we must make a kind of ink

that is better than theirs in craftsmanship.

Only then can we have a chance of winning.

Before this Sihe Ink,

no one ever thought

that ink could be made with fourfold mixing.

But since our predecessors

could create this Sihe Ink craft,

why can't we,

who are standing on their shoulders,

take things one step further

and try to realize sixfold mixing

to make up for the deficiency in materials

and create an ink that surpasses Sihe Ink,

defeating the Kuroda family?

Well said!

Third Grandfather.

- Girl. - Welcome.

Well said.

Third Master Chen.

- Uncle Junshan. - Third Grandfather Chen.

- Third Master Chen. - Sit down, please.

Everyone, please be seated.

Please sit down.

You heard it all?

Yes, I heard the whole speech.

To go one step further than our predecessors,

this is a good idea.

Jinshui,

I have never thought you and the Li family

were outdoing me and my family.

But you have such an excellent granddaughter.

I have to admit it.

Before coming here, I kept thinking

that among all the ink makers in Huizhou,

I am the oldest,

and I must grit my teeth

and shoulder the responsibility for the younger generations.

But after hearing what this girl said,

I feel that she's

outdoing me.

She's indeed outdoing me.

If Liuhe Ink is successfully made,

it'll truly be a great achievement combining all the existing techniques

and will surely be a masterpiece to be handed down for generations.

Jinshui,

Chen Ink will admit defeat this time.

However, girl.

Time is running out.

To make Liuhe Ink is

no longer just the Li family's business.

If you run into any difficulties,

just feel free to tell me

and everyone here.

Third Grandfather,

you came at the right time.

Zhen was just about to ask you for a favor.

What do you want me to help you with?

To make Liuhe Ink, glue-blending is of the greatest significance.

I know Uncle Junshan is the best at it.

So, I would like to borrow him from you.

To blend glue, he has to enter your Li family's ink-mixing area.

Aren't you afraid our Chen family might steal your techniques?

Third Grandfather, you are joking again.

I want to make this Liuhe Ink, which also

carries the meaning of harmony between heaven, earth, and people.

Today, I invited all the elders here

not only to inform everyone

that the Li family will try to make this Liuhe Ink

but also to ask for everyone's assistance.

Let's unite all families

and make this Liuhe Ink.

Harmony between heaven, earth, and people.

This line is a good omen.

Junshan,

don't bring shame to our Chen family.

Yes.

Thank you, Third Grandfather.

Thank you, Uncle Junshan.

Don't mention it.

Miss Li,

although Pan Ink has declined now,

it was as famous as Li Ink hundreds of years ago.

If Li Ink needs it,

I am willing to offer the Pan family's heirloom manuscript

to help you make Liuhe Ink.

Good.

Nice.

Ruogu.

Sit down.

Sit down, please.

Craftsmen must first sharpen their tools to do a job perfectly.

Our Xi family has nothing else

but a set of stone mortar and pestle passed down for generations.

They can make the ink paste smoother,

and the produced ink blacker and shinier.

Just feel free to take them if you need any.

- Great. - Nice.

I'd like to express my gratitude to you all

on behalf of Li Ink.

Girl,

don't just get excited.

For this Tribute Ink selection, I'm giving you this one.

Next time,

I will definitely do my best

to defeat you and your grandfather.

Jinshui,

dare you accept this challenge?

Yes, of course.

These two old pals.

No.

Try again.

Yes.

Jinshui,

they can come in handy.

They're valuable items.

Grandfather.

Third Grandfather Chen.

Come and check out this soot.

It's done!

It's done.

[Luo's Ancestral Hall]

Father,

Wensong,

after the tragedy that struck Luo Ink,

I've finally brought you guys

back to the ancestral hall.

Today, as Luo Wenqian,

I can finally commemorate you

above board.

That year, Father and I returned to Huizhou,

and we paid our respects at this ancestral hall for the first time.

That day,

Father kept warning Wensong and me

never to ruin the reputation of Luo Ink.

But fate was cruel.

The one who ruined the reputation of Luo Ink

and destroyed the Luo family's legacy...

[Tablet of Hanzhang of the Luo Family in Ming]

Father,

Wensong,

today, I have restored the Luo family's ancestral hall

in order

to start anew.

If you two

can hear me in heaven,

please help me

atone

for our family's sins,

and please bless the Luo family

to revive one day.

Aunt,

are you

really not going in to take a look?

This is the Luo family's ancestral hall.

I am now Ugly Granny Li.

I am not one of the Luos.

Why should I enter the Luo family's ancestral hall?

But after you pass away...

When I die,

Doggie will handle

my funeral affairs.

You

don't need to worry about me.

I see.

However,

be it Luo Mengzhen in the past

or today's Ugly Granny Li,

you will always be my aunt.

Our Luo family's ink craftsmanship has been passed down for decades.

If these techniques

really fade away with the Luo family's decline,

it would be a real pity.

But I know ink is your lifelong passion, and you are

the only successor of the Luo family's craftsmanship left in the world.

I have a presumptuous request.

I want to revive Luo Ink.

It doesn't need anything grand,

nor does it need a big storefront.

I just want to

focus on studying ink-making with you

to atone

for our Luo family's

past sins.

Everything in the world

rises and falls according to fate.

Why dwell on

the loss of one family's ink-making legacy?

When your father committed such an evil deed,

Luo Ink was already

doomed to fall.

Luo Mengzhen

already died in that fire long ago.

Why do you insist?

I grew up seeing my father, you,

and my brother

focus entirely on studying ink-making techniques.

Just the thought

that Luo Ink's techniques are about to be lost

makes me really sad.

The techniques of ink-making

are for people to use.

As long as someone is still using,

studying, and innovating them,

the techniques of Luo Ink

will never be lost.

The Luo family

used to hurt the Li family.

Now,

the Li family is having an ink contest with the Kuroda family,

bearing the responsibilities and hopes of the entire Huizhou ink industry.

These are

the manuscripts and ink recipes

of Luo Ink I've compiled over the years.

Take them

and give them to Miss Li Zhen

to help the Li family in some way.

This is the only way to atone for the Luo family's sins.

From now on,

Luo Ink

will be integrated into Li Ink.

As long as Li Ink exists,

Luo Ink

will not disappear.

These are our Luo family's ink recipes?

[Collection of Luo Ink's Craftsmanship]

These really are our Luo family's ink recipes.

Let me thank you

on behalf of Zhen.

Wenqian.

Zhen is a good girl.

I know you like her.

But in my opinion,

you two are not meant to be together.

Decades ago,

I was just like her,

full of passion and hope.

But in the end, it all came to nothing.

All came to nothing.

These manuscripts and ink recipes

are not only my atonement on behalf of Luo Ink,

but they also carry my own wish.

I want to see her

go higher and further

on this path

of ink-making.

Are you okay?

You got burned?

I'm fine.

♪ Raindrops fall on the moss-covered stone steps ♪

No way.

♪ With a bamboo knife, you make the spring fade away ♪

It's still red and swollen.

Wait here. I'll get you some medicine.

♪ Last year's branches are still hanging in the window ♪

♪ The tea left a stain on the sleeve ♪

Use this.

I've been carrying it with me all the time.

♪ The wreathing smoke gradually dissipated ♪

♪ Counting the games of our childhood ♪

♪ You lower your eyes and count the rings of the tree ♪

♪ Scars meander like a stream ♪

♪ The ink-black distant mountains resemble your eyes and brows ♪

♪ Amid the inky darkness, it seems as though a galaxy is shifting ♪

♪ Lend me a bit of the courage of a piece of pine resin ♪

In the past 3 years,

I have already restored the rouge ink.

♪ Amid the frost, I sketch the unfinished prologue ♪

When you run out of this piece,

remember to go to the ink workshop to get several new ones.

♪ The hazy, distant mountains are just like you ♪

It works for both burns and cuts.

♪ A winding bridge reflected in the water pavilion ♪

Then I would still not bear to use this piece.

The ink you've restored.

♪ If we are to part ways ♪

cannot compare to this one.

♪ Let the ink speak for me and say, "Take care" ♪

Because only this piece

can not only heal wounds

but also heal the heart.

Why did you come so suddenly today?

These are our Luo family's

ink recipes.

My aunt asked me to give them to you.

Perhaps

they can be of help.

Granny asked you to give them to me?

These are the Luo Ink's recipes!

These are our Luo family's ink recipes.

But my aunt said

after that fire that year,

Luo Mengzhen already died.

Her surname is Li now.

But I know little about ink-making.

My ambition does not lie here.

But my aunt is right about one thing.

Only when.

Luo Ink

is integrated into Li Ink one day

can it be passed down for hundreds or thousands of years.

[Luo Ink's Techniques]

Please thank Granny for me.

My aunt also said

that although she hasn't seen you much the past few years,

she knows you have been asking Doggie

to secretly send her money and items.

She feels very grateful to you.

But she also said that

she feels guilty towards the Li family

and must chant sutras for the rest of her life

to pray for the Li family before Buddha.

My mother, grandfather,

and I don't want to dwell on the past anymore.

Just let bygones

be bygones.

These years...

You must have had a tough time

the past few years in the southwest.

No.

After the general amnesty, I rejoined the army

and returned to General Yu's side.

He got me a job,

so I've been doing okay.

But you,

you are amazing.

You have been fully supporting Li Ink all these years.

And not just the Capital,

Sichuan, Shanxi, Henan, and Lingnan

all have your branches.

As expected of Manager Zhen.

So impressive.

You know it all?

I know it all.

I've kept in touch with Cuiqiao these past few years.

But every time I wrote a letter,

I couldn't help

asking more about you.

Over the past 3 years,

Cuiqiao has also been helping me a lot.

I guess this was

also at your request.

Zhen.

Although I had been away for years,

I was always worried about you.

Wenqian,

right now, I'm only focused

on making Liuhe Ink perfectly.

I have no time for anything else.

Got it.

I got it.

I see.

I'll go check on the glue.

Can't ruin it again.

I'll leave you to it.

[Ink Workshop]

This glue is brilliant.

It's rare and amazing indeed.

Grandfather,

can this glue be used to blend with ink?

Of course it can.

Jingdong,

Zhen,

go invite your Third Grandfather Chen,

Grandfather Qi Chun,

and President Hu over here.

Let's work together

to make Liuhe Ink.

Grandfather,

I'd like to invite someone else as well.

You want to invite Ugly Granny over?

Yes.

Yesterday, she gave me all of Luo Ink's manuscripts.

The ink-blending techniques recorded in them truly amazed me.

I heard that when she was young,

be it identifying ink

or ink-blending,

her skills were as good as yours and Third Grandfather Chen's.

So,

I want to invite her over

to help our Li family.

She gave Luo Ink's manuscripts

t-to you?

Exactly.

Jingdong,

it's your call whether you

want to invite her over or not.

Eighth Uncle,

no matter how narrow-minded I am,

I wouldn't let personal feelings interfere with serious business now.

Zhen,

go ahead and invite her over.

I'll go invite Third Master Chen and the others.

Then I'll get going.

Let me go do it.

You barely slept last night.

Go get some rest.

Master Luo.

Zhen,

I see he's quite strong.

Would you like

to stay

and help me?

I'm

at your disposal, Eighth Master Li.

Go invite her over.

Follow me.

Eighth Master Li,

let me go get a doctor for you.

Don't bother.

I know my condition

better than anyone.

Eighth Master Li, why did you

ask me to stay?

Master Luo,

I had you stay

because I want to talk about

what's between you and Zhen.