The Heir
A tribute ink scandal topples the Li family’s long-standing ink business, leaving their legacy in ruins. Years later, Li Zhen, the determined youngest daughter, sets out to restore her family's name. As she rises in the industry, she joins forces with Luo Wenqian, heir to another fallen clan, to take on a rising rival and face new challenges from foreign markets, fighting to bring Huizhou ink back to its former glory.
Episodes
Eight-year-old Li Zhen, the granddaughter from the eighth branch of the Li family, devises the Five-Color Ink Grading Test to distinguish superior ink from inferior, helping Li Ink earn the title of Imperial Ink Supplier. However, while the family is transporting the Imperial Ink to the capital, a fire breaks out and destroys the entire shipment. To quell the public outrage, Li Jin Shui steps forward on behalf of the eighth branch and voluntarily requests that they be expelled from the Li clan.
Li Zhen grows into adulthood and has an arranged marriage with Tian Ben Chang, the eldest son of the Tian family. Unexpectedly, Tian Ben Chang's father makes the arrangement just to strengthen Tian Ink through the joining of the eighth branch.
Li Zhen’s brother, Li Zheng Liang, steals the ink formula manuscript and hides it among her dowry, but Li Jing Dong discovers it. To protect his grandson, Li Jin Shui publicly vows never to make ink again.
Li Zhen stumbles upon the Luo family's pinewood selection and makes a wager with Luo Wen Song. If she can identify the high-quality pinewood, she'll win a reward from the Luo family.
Refusing to give up, Li Zhen disguises herself as a man and sneaks into various ink workshops to learn the craft. She is eventually exposed by the master craftsman at Luo Ink, who reports her to the Literary Society on the grounds that women are forbidden from learning ink-making.
Li Zhen officially begins studying the art of inkmaking, but she is unable to live up to her grandfather's standards.
Driven by rage and humiliation, Tian Ben Chang sets the Luo family home on fire. Luo Wen Song and his family are killed in the blaze. Li Zhen witnesses the horrific tragedy, while Luo Wen Qian returns too late, forced to watch his family consumed by the flames.
Li Zhen manages to produce Superior-Grade ink soot, but people say that it's Low-Grade. To prove herself, Li Zhen auctions the Superior-Grade ink soot on the streets together with Wang Hua'er.
Qi Jiu’s true identity is actually Luo Wen Qian. He returns to Huizhou under the guise of procuring military supplies, with the sole purpose of taking revenge on the Tian family.
Qi Jiu sees Magistrate Zhao Shen visiting the Tian family and realizes they share close ties. He understands that to bring down the Tian family, he must first eliminate the powerful figure backing them.
Sun Bai Yi, resentful over Li Zhen’s auction of soot, falsely accuses her of breaking the rules and damaging the finished ink soot. Li Zhen uses detailed usage records to expose his lies and prove her innocence.
The Li family intends to hold an ink testing event for their ancient lacquer soot ink. Tian Ben Chang deliberately holds the Tian family's ink testing event on the same day. Li Zhen suggests inviting famous painters and distinguished ink merchants to resolve the crisis.
Li Zhen takes an unconventional approach and organizes an open-air ink testing event. Qi Jiu arrives in time with Mr. Dong Tu, and the Li family’s ink testing event becomes a resounding success.
Ge Lao Liu exposes that Sun Bai Yi is the mastermind behind this plot to frame and kick out Li Zhen. In the end, Seventh Grandmother expels both father and son of the Sun family from Li Ink.
Eunuch Yan’s adopted daughter, Yan Xiang Lan, has suffered from a facial sore for many years but avoids seeking medical treatment out of fear and shame. Li Zhen decides to research the Nine Treasures Ink, a type of ancient ink believed to be capable of treating various sores and ailments.
Li Zhen successfully heals Yan Xiang Lan's malignant sores with the Nine Treasures Ink. Li Zhen then renames the Nine Treasures Ink as Fujin Ink after her parents.
An imperial decree announces the selection of the imperial ink, stirring up tensions within the Huizhou ink industry. Qi Jiu knows that the only way to defeat the Tian family is to win the Imperial Ink Contest.
Li Zhen discovers that the pine trees at the Li family’s pine yard have been infected with blight. As pine-soot ink has always been the cornerstone of the Li family business, the outbreak threatens to destroy everything they have built.
Li Zhen temporarily takes charge of Li Ink. To boost morale, she improves the workshop’s promotion system and increases the rate of high-quality ink production.
Sixth Master Li falls into the water by accident and passes away. The Li family mourns his death. Sun Wan Yi takes out Wang's will, entrusting Li Zhen with the role of manager, putting her in charge of the family and the ink workshop.
A raging fire reduces the finished goods to ashes. Li Ink intends to compensate the ink merchants, but they don't have enough to cover it. Members of the Li family donate their dowries and pocket money to help the Li family get through the crisis.
The Imperial Ink Contest begins, but the Li family’s Yiyuan Ink loses to the Chen and Tian families in the first round and is awarded First-Grade status.
To regain the ink merchants’ trust, Li Zhen and Qi Jiu trick them into visiting the soot shed, where they demonstrate how Li Ink is produced and solemnly promise to deliver their orders on time.
Li Zhen negotiates a deal with Tian Ben Chang. Her term of exchange is the ten-year right to use the Luo family's Linxi Pine Yard.
During mid-autumn, Li Zhen holds a banquet for their ink masters. Li Zhen leaves the banquet in the middle of it. She and Qi Jiu admire the moon together. Under the full moon, their affection for each other grows.
To fulfil an urgent order for Shize Ink, Li Zhen purchases fish-bladder glue from a supplier. However, Li De Cai secretly conspires with the supplier and replaces the bottoms of the glue barrels, causing the glue to spoil in storage.
The glue supplier reveals that Li De Cai was the mastermind. After he is arrested, Chun Hua finally sees the truth and produces a divorce letter, severing all ties with him.
Li Zhen shares the formula of Harmony Ink with the other ink workshops. In exchange, she wants to borrow their workshop and manpower. The ink workshops work together to meet the deadline. In the end, they manage to turn in their goods before the deadline, resolving the crisis.
Qi Jiu draws the line with Li Zhen coldly. Li Zhen is depressed about it. Yan Xiang Lan advises Li Zhen to deal with the business in Nanjing first, telling her that she needs to keep a distance from Qi Jiu to truly identify her feelings for him.
Qi Jiu overhears that the Li family of Huizhou has incurred the princess’s wrath. Worried for Li Zhen’s safety, he rushes to help, only to encounter her after she has already defused the crisis. Overcome with emotion, Qi Jiu nevertheless keeps his feelings to himself.
Li Zhen and Qi Jiu coincidentally visit Sanshan Hall, which they once mentioned, to view the lantern displays. After wandering around, the two unexpectedly run into each other, and Li Zhen takes the initiative to bravely confess her true feelings.
Seventh Grandmother passes away peacefully. Li Zhen conducts her funeral calmly. Li Zhen can only cry like a child in front of Qi Jiu.
Tian Ben Chang uncovers Qi Jiu's true identity. At the same time, Qi Jiu gathers evidence of the Tian family's collusion with foreign powers and discovers that they have secretly established an illegal ink workshop in Huizhou.
Qi Jiu investigates the contraband ink alone at night and runs into Tian Ben Chang at the ink workshop. Officer Zhang takes Tian Ben Chang's side as he has been bribed by Tian Ben Chang. Qi Jiu is helpless against many and ends up getting imprisoned.
Wu Xin frames the Li family for smuggling contraband ink. Magistrate He agrees to give Li Zhen a seven-day deadline to prove the Li family's innocence.
Li Zhen decides to take Tian Rong Hua’s place as the bride. During the wedding procession, she plans to publicly uncover contraband ink hidden among the dowry, catching the culprits red-handed and securing irrefutable evidence of Tian Ben Chang’s smuggling.
After Tian Ben Chang escapes from prison, Li Zhen enters the jail to persuade Tian Huai An to reveal the truth, telling him it is the Tian family’s only chance of survival.
Tian Ben Chang exposes a shocking secret. It turns out that Luo Han Zhang, Luo Wen Qian's father, instructed Tian Kui An to jeopardize the Li family's Imperial Ink submission over ten years ago.
The new emperor ascends the throne, granting amnesty to all. Luo Wen Qian returns to the Qi Army officially under his own name, protecting the country on the battlefield.
Li Zhen gathers Huizhou’s leading ink-making families at Sibao Restaurant and announces the Li family’s decision to create Six Harmony Ink, asking them to lend their full support.
Using blood as a vital ingredient, Li Jin Shui finally completes Six Harmony Ink. Nearing the end of his life, he returns to the Li Clan Ancestral Hall, bids farewell to Li Zhen, and passes away peacefully.
Li Ink and Kuroda Ink appear evenly matched. However, during the final ink test, cracks emerge on the surface of Kuroda Ink. The Li family ultimately triumphs and earns the title of “World's Finest Ink.”
