How could Zhenniang not see through Tian Ronghua’s little scheme?

However, she had always been thoroughly prepared in everything she did. Although she hadn’t anticipated that the Tian family would bribe the ink testers, she knew that as ink testers themselves, each had their specialties and techniques. Using painters to test ink couldn’t fully demonstrate the ink’s quality. Therefore, she still had some ideas about this situation.

Throughout his life, Su Dongpo has been extremely knowledgeable in the study of ink. In his “Discussion on Ink,” he recorded a method for testing ink:

“Test on a worn ink stone, write on a pure white jade plate. All inferior ink will reveal itself.”

This meant that using a worn ink stone to grind ink would reveal the ink’s luster and flow while displaying the ink on a pure white jade plate would better show its brilliance, darkness, and gradation.

This was the simplest yet most effective method of testing ink.

Thinking of this, Zhenniang watched as several elegant women prepared the brushes and ink.

Now that all three ink testers favored the Tian family, she had no choice but to make them lose face.

Just as Zhenniang stood up, preparing to speak, a purple-golden lightning bolt flashed outside Taibai Tower, followed by a thunderclap that startled everyone inside.

“The weather’s changing, it’s going to rain,” people in Taibai Tower called out.

Outside Taibai Tower, dark clouds rolled across the sky. In no time, though it was only afternoon, the sky turned as dark as dusk. In this light, testing ink would be impossible.

“Manager, manager, quickly bring the lamps!” A clerk from the Ink Affairs Office called to the tower’s staff.

“Right away!” The tower manager hurriedly responded, hitching up his robe as he rushed downstairs to instruct the servants to light the lamps.

The ink-testing ceremony paused, and servants brought tea and refreshments to each table, giving everyone a chance to rest.

At that moment, raindrops as large as beans began falling, shattering against the stone pavement outside, creating countless white bubbles. It quickly turned into a downpour.

“This cursed weather, raining again. Hurry, let’s take shelter in the nearby shops!” The onlookers outside Taibai Tower shouted.

Inside Taibai Tower, this sudden weather change caused some disorder.

Zhenniang walked to the riverside window and looked out. In the gloomy sky, the entire river surface was a vast expanse of water. Through the rain curtain, she saw a small boat racing downstream toward them. Soon it reached the riverbank, and two people ran directly from the boat to the shore. Zhenniang frowned slightly. The first was Luo Wenqian, followed closely by his clan brother Luo Ping’an.

Had something happened? Zhenniang clearly remembered Wenqian saying he would come to observe this tribute ink selection, but he hadn’t been present today. Now, in this heavy rain, both men arrived in such haste—something must have occurred.

She grew anxious at the thought.

While Zhenniang was lost in thought, Luo Wenqian, still wearing his rain cape, bounded up the stairs. A servant tried to stop him, but fortunately, Luo Wenqian had an observation ticket from the Ink Affairs Office. After checking it, the servant let him pass, though insisting he remove his rain cape.

Luo Wenqian was clearly in a hurry. He yanked off his cape, tossed it to the servant, and rushed upstairs with his wet robe hem lifted. Zhenniang had already hurried forward to meet him: “Brother Luo, has something happened?”

She had never seen Luo Wenqian, who was usually so casual, looking this serious.

Luo Wenqian gently pulled Zhenniang to a corner behind a screen, then took a letter from his chest and handed it to her.

Zhenniang accepted the letter with puzzlement. After reading just a few lines, she gasped and changed color, biting her lip. Finally, her expression grew solemn.

It turned out that when Master Wang’s ships had returned some days ago, they were accompanied by a Japanese tribute mission, which was now in Nanjing, temporarily hosted by the Maritime Trade Office.

Among them was a merchant group led by Ren Jiyingsung, who was also the mission’s envoy. This man was said to have skill in ink making, and he had brought a box of ink he had personally made, intending to present it to the Ming court through the Maritime Trade Office. However, Ren Jiyingsung had brazenly inscribed “World’s Finest Ink” on the ink.

Everyone knew that Yu Mi Great Ink and the former Li Yanggui Ink had both been called the world’s finest ink. When small ink workshops privately imitated Yu Mi Great Ink and Li Ink, they would also carve “World’s Finest Ink” on their products.

But everyone knew this was just advertising, not to be taken seriously.

However, for the Japanese to inscribe “World’s Finest Ink” on tribute ink was a naked provocation.

Thus, the court refused to accept Ren Jiyingsung’s tribute.

But unexpectedly, Ren Jiyingsung wouldn’t give up. He formally proposed an ink competition in the name of the mission, stating that unless someone could surpass his ink, the Ming court should not refuse Japan’s tribute.

Lord Yan of the Maritime Trade Office was furious and wanted to expel him immediately. However, since Ren Jiyingsung had formally proposed the competition in the mission’s name, the Maritime Trade Office couldn’t make the decision alone and had to send a memorial to the capital.

So the matter remained pending.

But the entire Nanjing ink industry had been enraged by Ren Jiyingsung’s challenge. This was blatantly slapping the face of Ming ink makers.

The three major Hui ink houses—Li, Tian, and Cheng—were at the top of the industry and wouldn’t easily take action. Moreover, with Huizhou currently selecting tribute ink, except for the Cheng family who had decision-makers present, the other two houses couldn’t make decisions, so they remained observant. But some small ink workshops, along with literary enthusiasts who made ink and ink collectors, all brought out their finest inks to challenge Ren Jiyingsung directly.

Unexpectedly, they were all defeated one by one. This included even the Li family’s Yu Mi Ink, the Tian family’s Purple Jade Light, and the Cheng family’s Mysterious Prime Jade.

These three were considered the best inks currently available in the market. Their defeat silenced the entire Nanjing ink industry, making Ren Jiyingsung even more pleased with himself, and also alarming the court.

Originally, the court had disdained Ren Jiyingsung’s challenge—not just anyone could issue such challenges. But after the Nanjing ink industry’s involvement, they had to respond.

After this turmoil, the Nanjing ink industry calmed down. Through the previous competitions, the Li, Tian, Cheng, Gu, Zhu, and other ink-making families had sent people to observe secretly and discovered that Ren Jiyingsung’s ink indeed had some remarkable origins.

His ink method came from a Western Region monk of the Song Dynasty.

Zhenniang remembered a passage comparing various ink methods in the Qing Dynasty’s “North Pool Casual Talks.”

It recorded a conversation between a Western Region monk and Song Dynasty’s Su Taijian, saying: “That country has no inkstones or brushes, but their ink is superior to China’s.”

The book also recorded that the palm-leaf ink the monk mentioned had hundreds of Sanskrit characters and was extremely lustrous. It noted that when Su Taijian wrote with this ink and left it by the window, even when rain-soaked and wiped with cloth, the characters remained intact.

This referred to the ink method, but Ren Jiyingsung’s ink materials were also extraordinary. The soot likely came from thousand-year-old pine, and the glue seemed similar to fish air bladder glue—judging by its scent, it might have been made from sea dragon bones.

One could say Ren Jiyingsung’s ink couldn’t be replicated—thousand-year-old pine was impossible to obtain consistently. He probably could only make one box in his lifetime, yet he used just this to challenge others, and they couldn’t refuse.

Coincidentally, Huizhou was currently selecting tribute ink, so someone at the court suggested waiting until the selection concluded, and then having the winning merchant house compete with Ren Jiyingsung.

The letter said the imperial edict was already on its way.

When the Nanjing Li family and Luo family received the news, they immediately sent messengers by horse, alternating between land and water routes, finally reaching Huizhou at this moment. As soon as Luo Wenqian received the letter, he rushed to inform the Li family.

As an ink-making family, they weren’t afraid of ink competitions. Zhenniang saw that the letter also analyzed that their Li Three Talents Ink should be able to compete.

Of course, for absolute certainty, they would need to focus on the materials. Ren Jiyingsung’s ink was difficult to match precisely because of its materials.

Therefore, even if the Li family competed, they couldn’t be completely confident.

But now that the court had issued an imperial edict, failure was not an option. Defeat could mean disaster for the entire clan.

This was why Luo Wenqian had rushed over so urgently, and why Zhenniang was worried despite her anger.

In other words, thanks to Ren Jiyingsung’s interference, the tribute ink rights they were currently competing for had become a hot potato. Whoever won the rights would have to face this decisive battle.

Victory would bring glory to the ancestors, but defeat would likely mean exile for the entire clan. Worse still, some heads might roll.

This raised the question: should they still compete for the tribute ink rights?

In her heart, Zhenniang wanted to fight. As a mere woman, she couldn’t shoulder grand principles like fighting for country and people, but as an ink maker, this was no time to retreat. This was a war that belonged to ink makers.

But when it involved the entire clan’s safety, she couldn’t make the decision alone. It would have to be made by Grandfather and Seventh Grandmother.

However, knowing her grandfather and seventh grandmother, Zhenniang suspected that even knowing they might die, they would never retreat. They might even become more determined to win the tribute ink rights. This transcended life and death—it was about maintaining the honor that every ink maker must defend.

How many people had the Li family lost to ink-making over these decades? Yet they had never spoken of retreat.

“I’ll go tell Grandfather and Seventh Grandmother,” Zhenniang said, tucking the letter into her clothes, her eyes gleaming brightly.