Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Even though the appointed time had arrived, Shen Lang was still nowhere to be seen. The Xu Clan had placed their dyed golden-yellow and purple silks on the table, waiting for him. The main hall was lit by dozens of candles, making it as bright as day. The golden-yellow silk Shen Lang had previously dyed was placed next to theirs. Looking at the two golden-yellow silks separately, it would have been difficult to judge which was superior. But under the bright lights, a closer comparison revealed that the Xu Clan’s golden-yellow silk was more vibrant and purer in color than Shen Lang's.
This was only natural. The Xu Clan was well-versed in dyeing, with abundant resources and experience. After obtaining Shen Lang's formula, they were able to create an even better golden-yellow dye. But what drew the crowd’s attention even more was the Xu Clan's purple silk, which shimmered as if dancing in a brilliant hue. The most skilled master dyer of the Xu Clan bowed and said:
"My Lord, my Lady. This is our new purple dye. It is not made by mixing blue and red, but extracted from gromwell root. The effect of this dye is far superior to any of the old ones."
The head of the Xu Clan, Lin Mo, and the others held the purple silk up to the candlelight, examining it ceaselessly. Not only was it more vibrant, but its quality was also fundamentally better than the previous purple dyes. The purity of the color was superior, and it was several shades brighter. It was truly magnificent. The Xu Clan was set to make another fortune with this.
This was why Xu Qianqian was so confident she could defeat Shen Lang. The young magistrate also took the silk and observed it closely, and he too had to admit that the new purple silk was indeed outstanding. Although he was not of the nobility, he came from a distinguished family and had a fondness for purple satin, so he was capable of appreciating purple silk.
Xu Qianqian said.
"Master He, please tell the officials about the new golden-yellow dye."
The Xu Clan's most skilled master dyer spoke.
"My lords, this humble one's family has been practicing the craft of dyeing for generations. I, too, have dedicated myself to the art since I was a child. I have devoted all my energy to creating dyes for the royal yellow and the precious purple, as they require special techniques. And at last, I discovered that the fruit of the pagoda tree was the most effective ingredient. I present my original dyeing record book as evidence."
After speaking, he produced a book. The magistrate in charge of punishments for Xuanwu City took it and flipped through it. Inside, it was indeed filled with various formulas. And there was a record of the pagoda tree fruit, just as the master dyer had mentioned. Moreover, the handwriting looked aged, so it did not seem to be a fabrication.
"Shen Lang was once a son-in-law of the Xu Clan. His intellect was lacking, and people looked down on him. Then one day, for some unknown reason, he came loitering in my workshop and witnessed me experimenting with the pagoda tree fruit to create a new dye."
The Xu Clan’s master dyer was not telling a complete lie. He had indeed experimented with using pagoda tree fruit to make yellow dye. However, he did not know that alum had to be added to brighten the color, so the experiment was unsuccessful. Furthermore, the order of the steps in his process was different, so the color he extracted from the pagoda tree fruit was not impressive; his pagoda tree formula was a failure.
It was true that the old Shen Lang used to loiter around the dyeing workshop, enjoying the sight of the vibrant, colorful silks. This was why both the head of the Xu Clan and Xu Qianqian were certain that Shen Lang had not created the golden-yellow dye formula himself. Their certainty was all the deeper because they, more than anyone, knew Shen Lang's capabilities.
The head of the Xu Clan said.
"Officials, now that the witness and evidence are all clear, you may take Shen Lang away, correct?"
Although he said "officials," his eyes were on the young magistrate. If this clueless fool hadn't interfered, Shen Lang would have been arrested long ago. The young magistrate looked at the dyer's book and then at the new purple-dyed silk in his hand, and nodded. He said calmly:
"It seems the Xu Clan's words are true."
The head of the Xu Clan shouted.
"Men, drag Shen Lang out from inside."
Hearing this, a warrior from the Xu Clan, without waiting for the officials to act, presumptuously moved to enter the kitchen. Just then, the door to the backyard kitchen opened, and Shen Lang walked out.
The head of the Xu Clan said in a cold voice.
"Shen Lang, the witness and evidence are here. Prepare yourself for prison!"
Shen Lang suddenly looked at the young official. The magistrate said calmly:
"All the evidence here says you are a thief."
Shen Lang first looked at the golden-yellow silk presented by the Xu Clan. The color was indeed vivid and excellent. It was to be expected. The Xu Clan, which had developed superior silk dyeing techniques for generations, had obtained his formula... They were bound to produce a much better result.
"Is this the golden-yellow dye the Xu Clan created with all its might?"
The head of the Xu Clan said.
"That's right. Is it not more splendid and vibrant than what you made?"
"It is certainly superior to the silk I dyed before. But did I not already say that I hadn't revealed the entire formula? Then how does it compare to this silk I just dyed?"
Shen Lang took out the golden-yellow silk made with the improved 21st-century formula. All eyes gathered on it. Xu Qianqian flinched, recognizing at a glance that Shen Lang's golden-yellow silk was slightly superior to the one made by the Xu Clan.
‘How is this possible? Did Shen Lang really create a better golden-yellow dye?’
Having already reached the level of a master artisan, she could clearly discern the difference in the silk's color and quality with just a glance. However, the officials present could not tell what the big difference was. Only the Xu Clan's master dyer and Xu Qianqian felt the difference more clearly than anyone else.
The head of the Xu Clan was also astonished. To think that Shen Lang truly possessed a better formula for golden-yellow dye than his own clan. But fortunately, discerning that difference was beyond the abilities of the officials here, so the Xu Clan head said coldly:
"It looks similar to me, I don't think it can beat our clan's golden-yellow silk. This doesn't prove that you didn't steal the formula from our house."
Shen Lang had long anticipated that the head of the Xu Clan would be shameless. That was why the key to victory lay not in the golden-yellow dye, but in the purple dye. Shen Lang glanced at the purple silk on the table.
‘This is the Xu Clan's new purple dye? It's excellent. Certainly far superior to most purple silks. The luster and purity of the color are very deep and clear! If I were an ordinary person, I might have suffered a great defeat today.’
However, compared to the purple dye Shen Lang extracted from litmus moss, the difference was vast. The purple dye extracted from gromwell root was monotonous, faded, and lacked vitality. Shen Lang said with a smile:
"Xu Qianqian, is this silk before you truly the best purple silk the Xu Clan can produce? Are you not hiding your skills, or perhaps have another formula?"
"Of course not. Shen Lang, if the purple dye you made is not superior to our clan's, it proves you are a shameless thief. Then it means you not only stole the formula for the golden-yellow dye, but also the formula for our clan's purple dye. What a pity."
Without another word, Shen Lang took out the purple silk he had dyed and placed it before everyone. The eyes of the Xu Clan head and Lin Mo lit up. A mixture of surprise and greed shone in their gazes, and Shen Lang couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Indeed, there was nothing more frightening than comparison. Just a moment ago, looking at the Xu Clan's purple silk alone, it had seemed fine. But when compared to the silk dyed by Shen Lang, the difference was stark.
The Xu Clan's silk was well-dyed with purple, but it looked cheap and crude. In contrast, Shen Lang's purple silk was deep and full of life, on a completely different level. There was no need for a judge; the difference in quality was obvious at a glance. Shen Lang let out a sneer.
"Head of the Xu Clan, Xu Qianqian, you wouldn't say that I stole the formula for the purple dye I made from your clan as well, would you?"
At this, the Xu Clan head and Xu Qianqian exchanged shocked glances. What was happening? No one here knew Shen Lang better than Xu Qianqian. During the few months Shen Lang was a live-in son-in-law, she thought she had completely grasped the fact that he was a useless fool. But now, for him to suddenly create such a magnificent dye!
Golden-yellow and purple, the two colors at the pinnacle of the dye world, could overturn the entire market and spark a revolution in the art of dyeing.
This made no sense. She could not accept that a good-for-nothing like Shen Lang was an expert in dyeing.
Of course, Xu Qianqian's assessment of the original Shen Lang would have been correct, but the Shen Lang standing before her now was a different person who had transcended time and space.
"Is this purple silk not enough to declare a clear victory? Then what about this one?"
He then took out his trump card from his robes: the rainbow silk. Under the bright light of countless candles, the rainbow silk flaunted a beauty more brilliant than anything else. Everyone was so stunned they held their breath.
Was this even possible? The colors were so gorgeous and full of life. It was multicolored yet not the least bit crude, the colors vivid yet natural. This sealed it. With the rainbow silk, Shen Lang had completely crushed the Xu Clan and seized victory. After seeing his silk, the Xu Clan's purple silk looked so crude it was almost unwatchable.
"Head of the Xu Clan, Xu Qianqian, did I also steal the dye formula for the rainbow silk from the Xu Clan? Did I not say it from the start? In the art of dyeing, my strength alone is more than enough to crush your entire Xu Clan. To accuse me of stealing your family's formula is truly laughable!"
The head of the Xu Clan could almost hear the sound of his family's prestige crumbling to the ground. But apart from that, he could not hide his astonishment at Shen Lang. Had they been wrong about him? If he was so proficient in the art of dyeing, why did Xu Qianqian have no idea?
In ancient times, the texture of silk fabrics was mostly similar, so the price was ultimately determined by the color. This meant that if one's colors were superior to competitors, one could maintain the top position in the silk and fabric trade.
Shen Lang looked at the young magistrate.
"Lord Magistrate, please render a fair judgment now."
The young magistrate glanced at the head of the Xu Clan and said:
"Then I ask you. Did Shen Lang truly steal the purple dye and the rainbow silk dye from the Xu Clan?"
The face of the Xu Clan head twitched. This young magistrate truly couldn't read the room. Hadn't his superior in the city government given him a clear hint when he left? Xu Qianqian's fiancé was the Prefect's son. Did he really intend to offend the Zhang family and ruin his own future?
The head of the Xu Clan glared at the young magistrate with great resentment, vowing to have him dismissed. However, to carry that out, an official of at least the Prefect's rank would have to make a move. For now, he was just a merchant, so he could not be openly rude to the magistrate.
The head of the Xu Clan said in a cold voice.
"No!"
"Miss Xu Qianqian, do you believe Shen Lang stole the formulas for the purple dye and the rainbow dye from the Xu Clan?"
Xu Qianqian flinched. Perceptive as she was, she realized this young magistrate was inwardly hostile towards the Xu Clan. What grudge did he have against them? Or did he have a grudge against Zhang Jin? What gave him the courage to stand against the Prefect's in-laws?
Xu Qianqian said calmly:
"No."
"If not, then Shen Lang was falsely accused. Head of the Xu Clan, Miss Xu, you will apologize to Shen Lang!"
The head of the Xu Clan suddenly burst with anger, let out a "Hmph," and stormed out with a flick of his sleeves. Xu Qianqian's expression changed several times. She looked at Shen Lang, gave a slight nod, and said:
"I'm sorry. I misunderstood you because of past events and wrongly accused you. I'll be taking my leave now!"
After saying this, she departed with a graceful and elegant posture. She had made up her mind. After returning, she would have Zhang Jin take revenge on the young magistrate. The existence of an official hostile to the Xu Clan within Xuanwu City was absolutely unacceptable.
After Xu Qianqian had left, Shen Lang clasped his hands and bowed to the magistrate.
"Thank you, Lord Magistrate. Have you been well? On that note, I wonder how Lady Jin of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate is doing."