Chapter 12

Shen Lang had only been able to meet with the head of the Lin Clan by using the name of Tian Heng from the Black Clothes Gang. Thirteen was representing Tian Heng, yet he remained silent. He must have been watching when Lin Mo of the Golden Embroidery Pavilion tried to contact the Xu Clan while Shen Lang was making his dye. But Thirteen neither stopped him nor informed Shen Lang.

Ultimately, it meant that everyone here was Shen Lang’s enemy. The Xu Clan, the Lin Clan, even the Black Clothes Gang. Shen Lang had to face three formidable groups.

So what was the easiest way out for him now? He could admit to stealing the formula, become the son-in-law of another powerful clan, gain power, and then seek revenge later. After all, Xu Qianqian had declared before an official of Xuanwu City that if Shen Lang admitted his guilt, she would let his past transgressions slide. She was a woman who valued her reputation. If Shen Lang confessed, she wouldn't torment him today. Of course, she would use her wealth to deal with him later, but it was a way to escape the immediate crisis.

But Shen Lang had no intention of choosing that path. No, he absolutely could not. He had endured enough false accusations and had decided he would not tolerate it this time.

Shen Lang looked at Xu Qianqian and asked.

"You claim I stole the formula for the golden-yellow dye. Do you have any proof?"

The head of the Xu Clan sneered.

"Shen Lang, you are nothing but a useless wretch with no learning and no skills. In contrast, our Xu Clan has been in the silk and fabric business for decades and is highly proficient in handling dyes. This golden-yellow dye formula is the culmination of years of tireless effort, countless resources, and immense wealth poured in by myself and Qianqian. The only reason we kept it secret was to present it as a surprise to the Royal Weaving Department. Yet a thankless creature like you not only stole our family's assets and harassed a maidservant, but you also stole the very lifeblood of our family—the dye formula."

Then, the clan head looked at his daughter and said in a cold voice.

"Qianqian, how could you leave something as important as this new formula in a drawer?"

"I'm sorry, Father. I trusted Shen Lang completely at the time and never imagined he would dare to do such a thing."

She looked at Shen Lang and said.

"Shen Lang, when you were with our Xu Clan, I reprimanded the servants who bullied or ignored you and made sure it never happened again. When you weren't accepted by our family, I stayed by your side every day to keep you company. So why would you do this? If you're seeking revenge because you feel I cast you out, you should have directed it at me alone. Why must you target our family's very livelihood?"

The expressions of the officials on the scene shifted strangely. From the beginning, they had been inclined to believe the claims of the Xu Clan's head and Xu Qianqian. The Xu Clan was renowned for its expertise in silk dyes, to the point where they claimed only they were capable of making offerings to the Royal Weaving Department. In contrast, Shen Lang was known as an unlearned, unskilled fool. Whose word was more believable? Naturally, they were convinced that the Xu Clan had developed the new dye formula and that Shen Lang had stolen it.

Shen Lang said nonchalantly.

"In the end, you have no proof, and I have no proof. But people will believe the formula was created by the Xu Clan... and I have no way to explain otherwise."

At this, the head of the Xu Clan nodded and replied firmly.

"As long as you understand that."

This matter was being resolved more smoothly than expected. Not only had he acquired a brilliant golden-yellow dye formula for free, but he could also justifiably throw Shen Lang in prison. What a windfall, without even having to spend any money.

"Now that the truth of the matter is clear, seize him! He'll confess under torture."

"What's your hurry, Clan Head Xu? I may not have a way to explain, but I can easily prove it! As it happens, I foresaw something like this and deliberately withheld the full formula for the golden-yellow dye. In fact, I have in my possession a formula for an even higher-quality dye. Clan Head Xu, proving I didn't steal your formula is simple. If I can produce a dye better than the golden-yellow one I just made, won't the truth be revealed?"

Xu Qianqian quickly interjected.

"Shen Lang, although you learned how to make the golden-yellow dye by stealing our family's formula, you are no expert in this field. If ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we, the experts, were to make it, wouldn't our result naturally be far superior to the dye you just made?"

"Correct. I'm no expert on dyes, but your family is. So, using the same method, the results would obviously be different. But what if I know a different formula? Well then, Xu Qianqian, let's have your clan work together to create a golden-yellow dye and compare it to mine. Let's see whose golden-yellow dye is superior. A contest of quality should be enough to prove my innocence, don't you think?"

Shen Lang still had an ace up his sleeve. The formula he had provided earlier was from 17th-century China, but the one he now possessed was a top-quality, improved formula from the 21st century. The main ingredients were the same, but the ratios, boiling times, and other additives were different. The formula he had given the Lin Clan was only a step or two below the one in his computer. The Xu Clan, with its considerable existing expertise, would produce a decent result. Shen Lang might gain a slight edge in color, but he wouldn't be able to utterly crush them. So, he decided to add another layer to his strategy.

"If I only defeat you with a golden-yellow dye, that alone won't be enough to prove my talent. Xu Qianqian, you're an expert in dyes, so let me ask you something. What color is the most difficult to create?"

"The most difficult color to create is, of course, purple. Purple is the color that embodies the pinnacle of the dyer's art."

That's right. In ancient times, the most difficult color to dye was not yellow, but purple. It wasn't that purple couldn't be produced at all, but in ancient China, purple dye was made from gromwell root, resulting in a crude color. Later, a dye made from a purple sea snail called a murex produced a slightly better result.

Historically, Duke Huan of Qi, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period, was said to have enjoyed wearing purple clothes. At that time, the price of purple cloth was more than five times that of ordinary cloth, signifying the rarity of purple silk. In the West, purple dye was said to be made from shellfish. The last queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty in ancient Egypt, in particular, was so fond of this color that she was said to have dyed not only her clothes but also her sails purple. Purple dye was so rare that it was a color favored by the powerful.

In the era of the Great Yan ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Dynasty, the method of creating dye from purple shellfish or sea snails had not yet been discovered. So where did the purple dye of this world come from? It was created by mixing blue and red dyes.

However, the effect of the purple dye created by this method was far from satisfactory. First, the color was uneven when dyed, and the resulting hue was coarse. Furthermore, because the two colors had different rates of setting, the color often bled from the purple-dyed silk.

"You said making purple dye is harder than making yellow dye?"

"Of course!"

Purple dye was the most difficult problem to solve in this world's fabric and silk industry.

"To prove conclusively that I have a talent for the dyer's art, let's compete not only with golden-yellow but with purple dye as well. The Xu Clan can pool its resources to create these two colors. I am alone and have no money, so I will make my dyes using the simplest, most cost-effective methods.

Then, before the officials present here, we can compare whose dyes and dyed silks are superior, can't we? I, Shen Lang, will prove to everyone that I can single-handedly crush the Xu Clan in the art of dyeing. Once that happens, everyone will see how foolish the claim that I stole a dye formula from the Xu Clan truly is."

The head of the Xu Clan sneered.

"Shen Lang, you are truly absurd. Why should we compete with you? Stop wasting time and go to prison. Once you're tortured in your cell, you'll gladly confess."

Shen Lang looked at the officials on the scene and said.

"Honorable officials, what do you think of my proposal?"

Most of the officials present were secretly supported by the Xu Clan and were also acquainted with the City Lord's Manor. So when Shen Lang asked them, several officials pretended not to hear him and didn't respond. Shen Lang then looked at the youngest official among them. The young official, whose eyes met Shen Lang's, was in charge of punishments in Xuanwu City and held the authority to decide on his arrest in this situation.

Shen Lang recalled a past encounter with this young official, particularly something he had said. If his memory served him right, this official would be hostile towards the Xu Clan. The young official, seeing Shen Lang's gaze, hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and speaking to everyone.

"Clan Head Xu, let's proceed as he suggests. If he fails to defeat the Xu Clan, it will be proof that he stole the formula from you, and we can arrest him then."

As the young official spoke, the gaze of the Xu Clan's head turned icy. Most of the officials here had received support from the Xu Clan, but this young official in charge of punishments had only recently been appointed to Xuanwu City and had no ties to them. But even if he hadn't taken the Xu Clan's money, the City Lord must have instructed him to handle things favorably for them, so why was he acting so contrary now? Did he not know that the Xu Clan was about to form a marriage alliance with the Prefect's family?

"Lord Wang, are you certain about this?"

"I am!"

As the young official was in charge of punishments, the authority to arrest a criminal was entirely his. The head of the Xu Clan frowned and was about to mention the City Lord's Manor to pressure the young official, but Xu Qianqian pulled on her father's sleeve.

Xu Qianqian knew Shen Lang better than anyone. Where could he possibly have learned dyeing? She didn't know where he got the golden-yellow dye formula, but when the Xu Clan tested it themselves, the results were already far superior in color and quality to the crude dye Shen Lang had produced. The Xu Clan's long-honed skills were no empty boast.

And what about the purple dye? Besides, Shen Lang didn't know that the Xu Clan had recently developed a new formula for purple dye. It was such an innovative method that Xu Qianqian expected it to render all other purple silks on the market obsolete.

Shen Lang was bound to lose. Whether he died sooner or later, he was destined to die, so making an enemy of the official over a trivial matter was unwise. Sensing his daughter's thoughts, the head of the Xu Clan nodded.

"Very well, we shall follow Lord Wang's wishes and play along with this fellow's charade."

Shen Lang, who had been watching, asked.

"If the yellow and purple dyes I create defeat yours, what will that prove?"

"It would mean the golden-yellow dye formula has nothing to do with our Xu Clan. We will then admit that you did not steal it from us."

"Good. When that time comes, you will admit you falsely accused me and apologize."

The silent head of the Xu Clan sneered at Shen Lang and replied.

"Hmph! You can say that again after you've won."

"Very well, then. We shall have three *shichen* to create the dyes! After three *shichen*, we will compare the dyes, and the truth will be revealed!"

At this, the young official who had been observing the situation nodded.

"So be it!"

"Qianqian, go home at once and select our most skilled artisan. You will personally supervise them. And create our family's finest purple dye."

"Yes!"

For this competition, the Xu Clan intended to mobilize the full strength of their family, but Shen Lang still had to fight alone. He looked at Lin Mo and said.

"Clan Head Lin, I'll need to borrow your rear kitchen again."

"By all means."

***

Shen Lang entered the rear kitchen and, just as before, used pagoda tree buds and alum to create the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yellow dye. This time, however, was critically important to Shen Lang. He immediately accessed the improved 21st-century formula from the computer in his mind, adjusting the ingredient composition, ratios, and heat control. Thanks to this, the result was no longer crude.

The fundamental ingredients hadn't changed, but having been refined by modern science and technology, the dye's color appeared more golden than yellow. However, an improvement was just an improvement; it wasn't enough to completely overwhelm the original formula. The key was the purple dye.

Shen Lang quickly mixed and boiled the improved golden-yellow dye, then focused his efforts on creating the purple dye. He brought out his secret weapon: litmus moss, the best ingredient for making purple dye. It was a type of bryophyte, found everywhere and costing nothing. The purple produced from this ingredient was vibrant, bright, and beautiful.

In 18th-century Britain, a man named Cuthbert accidentally discovered that a certain type of bryophyte could be used to create purple dye more effectively than existing methods. The purple dye extracted from litmus moss subsequently dominated the dye market for over a century, enjoying its heyday until the dramatic advancement of the chemical industry led to the creation of low-cost, artificially synthesized purple dyes.

Why had Shen Lang prepared litmus moss? It was a precaution. If the golden-yellow dye formula wasn't enough, he intended to use the purple dye. Shen Lang ground the dried litmus moss, then boiled it with coal ash and urine. A pure purple color soon emerged. He then used alum again to brighten the color. In a very short time and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at a low cost, a beautiful purple dye was created. Shen Lang had yet to realize just how superior his purple dye was to any other in this world.

Afterward, Shen Lang took an undyed piece of silk and began to dye it in the purple solution. Once the dyeing process was complete, the silk, dried crisp under the sun, was reborn as a lustrous piece of purple fabric. It was a truly beautiful purple. Such a vivid, vibrant, and luxurious shade of purple. With this, he could conquer all the purple silks of this world.

But Shen Lang didn't stop at making purple silk. He could have beaten the Xu Clan with the purple silk alone, but he wanted a victory that would make everyone tremble. Therefore, using the materials provided by the Lin Clan, he planned to create seven dyes and use them to fashion the most brilliant, mysterious, and magnificent rainbow-colored silk.

If he could dye a single piece of silk with seven distinct bands of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, it would result in an incomparably wondrous and magnificent rainbow silk.

Before his transmigration, Shen Lang was not a professional dyer, but he was a dye enthusiast. When he visited a silk museum, he found a class so interesting that he became engrossed in silk dyeing for over two weeks.

Moreover, there were the scenes of workers dyeing cloth that this world's Shen Lang had witnessed after becoming a live-in son-in-law, and the laptop in his mind contained data on the dye-making process and its ingredients. So, even if he couldn't produce the absolute best dyes like a professional dyer from modern Earth, it was more than enough to defeat the Xu Clan.

Three *shichen* later, Shen Lang's golden-yellow silk, purple silk, and rainbow silk were all complete. The rainbow silk, his secret weapon to utterly crush the Xu Clan's pride, would elicit an incomparably astonished reaction from people seeing such colors for the first time in their lives. And with that, he could make the Xu Clan's silks look utterly insignificant