The Mo (家业), now airing on CCTV-8 and iQiyi, looks like a classic underdog story. Li Zhen (李祯), played by Yang Zi (杨紫), loses her clan status and her engagement, then fights back through her ink-making talent. That arc alone is exciting. But the show hides a much bigger game beneath its beautiful sets and family feuds. The real action takes place in the 42nd year of the Jiajing (嘉靖) Emperor’s reign (1563), a turning point in the late Ming Dynasty. Three political forces are already locked in a death match. The night feels long for the main characters, but dawn is closer than they think.
Madness Before Fall
The villain Tian Benchang (田本昌) leans on Xu Jie (徐阶), a powerful court official. With that backing, he crushes the ink industry in Huizhou (徽州). He acts like an untouchable king. But history tells a different story. In 1563, Xu Jie has just destroyed his rival Yan Song (严嵩) and become the Grand Secretary. He looks unstoppable. Yet his fatal flaw is already showing: he cannot control his own sons. Historical records say that after Xu Jie retired, his children seized land and bullied local families. The scandal later forced the famous official Hai Rui (海瑞) to step in.
Tian Benchang acts as Xu Jie’s “white glove” in the ink trade. His greed mirrors the corruption of the Xu family. He thinks he holds the strongest shield. In reality, that shield is rotting from within. The year 1566 brings the death of the Jiajing Emperor. Xu Jie briefly controls the emperor’s final edict, but that only plants the seeds of his downfall. Other officials start attacking him. A rival named Gao Gong pushes him aside. For viewers, every punch Tian lands on Li Zhen is another nail in his own coffin. Once Xu Jie falls, the Tian family will face total destruction.
The Hidden Sword
On the other side, the male lead Luo Wenqian (骆文谦) is no ordinary merchant. He uses the fake name “Qi Jiu (戚九)” to do business. Behind him stands the Qi family army, led by the famous general Qi Jiguang (戚继光). Many viewers might wonder how a trader connects to the imperial court. The answer lies with Zhang Juzheng (张居正), a man still hiding in the Hanlin (翰林) Academy in 1563. At that time, he is just a student of Xu Jie, circling the edges of power. But his bond with Qi Jiguang is already strong.
History shows that in 1567, Zhang Juzheng enters the Grand Secretariat. His first move is to send Qi Jiguang to guard the Ji Gate near Beijing. He gives the general full support to train new troops. Qi builds watchtowers and drills chariot units – all backed by Zhang’s money and authority. Luo Wenqian, as a man connected to the Qi army, is essentially the business face of the Zhang faction. What is Zhang doing in 1563? He takes a sick leave, reads books, and waits. He pretends to follow Xu Jie, but he is actually building his own power network.
Right now, Luo looks weak. Tian Benchang pushes him around in the business war. But this is the calm before the storm. Luo uses the Qi army’s reach to open northern trade routes. That gives him a vision that Li Zhen, stuck in the south making ink, does not yet have. She focuses on perfecting her ink sticks. He focuses on where to sell them. Together, they cover both ends of the chain.
Dawn Arrives
All the suffering that Li Zhen and Luo Wenqian endure now is just waiting. The year 1572 brings the ascent of the Wanli (万历) Emperor. Zhang Juzheng pushes Gao Gong aside and becomes the sole Grand Secretary. He finally holds the empire’s real power. At that moment, Luo Wenqian stops being a simple trader. He becomes the vanguard of “managing the nation’s finances.” Zhang’s famous reform, the “Single Whip Law,” will soon follow. It simplifies taxes and boosts trade and industry.
Huizhou ink, a prized commodity in the late Ming, enters a golden age. Zhang Juzheng also backs Qi Jiguang’s military reforms fully. The Qi army becomes the strongest force on the northern border. Luo can easily turn Li Zhen’s best ink into official military supplies or high-end tribute goods. He might even sell it overseas. The show’s clever move is that it does not stay in the small world of family fights and shop rivalries. Instead, it locks two young people’s fates into the real rhythm of history.
Li Zhen now fights the rule that “women cannot seal the ink.” She struggles between the Tian and Li families. But when Xu Jie loses power, the Tian family will become a dog in the water, hit by everyone. The old case that destroyed Li Zhen’s family – the false tribute ink charge – will get a retrial. With the court leaning toward Zhang Juzheng, justice will come. Luo Wenqian’s military ties will open every door. The darkness over Huizhou has a deadline. And that deadline is written not in ink, but in history.
