Plain Congee Romance

Chapter 1

Plain Congee Romance

Author: Lin Wucuo

Chapter 1

Lin Xiaozao, a simple and honest mountain villager, is planning a robbery today.

Whom to rob? He had been lying in ambush by the mountain path for most of the day.

A woodcutter carrying a bundle of firewood swayed past Lin Xiaozao, wiping sweat from his face with his arm. "Chopping wood isn't easy," Lin Xiaozao thought. He pressed his knife, but didn't move.

A thin, wiry scholar in a wrinkled long gown walked by, admiring a newly painted landscape painting. His rattan easel, worn and tattered from years of use, clung to his back. "Ten years of hard study," Lin Xiaozhao thought. He shifted his position and continued squatting.

...A morning has passed.

A family of three strolling in the autumn air walked past Lin Xiaozao. A peasant woman climbing the mountain to pray at the old temple walked past Lin Xiaozao. An elderly man with white hair, exercising by climbing the mountain every day, walked past Lin Xiaozao.

"If we don't act now, it will be too late!" Lin Xiaozhao gritted her teeth, leaped up, and shouted at the next passerby, "Robbery! Hand over all your money!" The rusty sickle in her hand was pointed directly at the man's neck.

The man was clearly taken aback for a moment, then slowly pulled out a few copper coins from his pocket: "This is all I brought today, what should I do?" His voice was light and calm, with a serious hint of annoyance in his smile.

Lin Xiaozhao was also stunned; this person was so cooperative. He carefully examined the person. He had little formal education and a limited vocabulary, so he immediately felt that the person's appearance was very special. The blue robe he wore wasn't particularly luxurious, yet it looked simple and clean on him, untouched by worldly concerns. Even carrying a huge bamboo basket filled with flowers, plants, and leaves, he looked exceptionally harmonious.

The man, despite being scrutinized, smiled and squinted, reminding him, "So, how about now?"

"How...how?" Lin Xiaozao thought to herself, her head bowed. She inadvertently caught sight of the half-jade pendant hanging from the waist of the young man in the blue robe. It was smooth and white, with fine red lines spreading across the broken edge, as naturally and beautifully as blood dripping into water.

"This must be very valuable." Lin Xiaozao's heart skipped a beat: "Give me this and I'll let you go!" She reached out to grab it. Just as she was about to touch it, her hand was quickly grabbed. The slender fingers of the man in the blue robe seemed casual and relaxed as they gripped her wrist, but Lin Xiaozao secretly exerted force and couldn't break free at all.

"Although I don't like this jade either, I can't give it to you." The man in the blue robe still had a faint smile.

Just as Lin Xiaozao was about to say something, the man in the blue robe suddenly moved and twisted his wrist, pulling him into the bushes where they had been lying in ambush. "Don't make a sound." The man in the blue robe glanced at him, his smile disappearing, replaced by a calm expression that carried an inexplicable air of authority.

Lin Xiaozao followed his gaze and saw a group of people hurriedly walking up the mountain. The leader, looking anxious, ordered, "That scholar just said he saw Young Master Yan coming up to gather herbs when he came down the mountain. Search everywhere and be sure to find Young Master Yan." "Yes!" The attendants accepted the order and dispersed in all directions, their steps quick but not chaotic.

Time passed by, bit by bit.

After those people had gone a little further away, Lin Xiaozao, carrying a large bamboo basket and holding half a piece of jade pendant, chased after them.

"Are you from the Prime Minister's residence?" Lin Xiaozao blinked and said loudly, "My young master had to go down the mountain on an urgent matter and instructed me to tell the people from the Prime Minister's residence not to waste their time."

The team leader looked at Lin Xiaozao with a mixture of suspicion and doubt: "Your young master?" But when he saw the unique piece of Rouge Snow Jade that Yan Shu always wore on Lin Xiaozao's hand and the large bamboo basket filled with herbs on his back, he understood the situation and pressed on, "Where can we find Young Master Yan?"

Lin Xiaozao mustered her courage and remembered the man in the blue robe's words: "If you want to get money without being robbed, do as I say." So she deliberately pretended to be in a hurry, "Young master, there are many places you might go, how would I know? I'm in a hurry to go down the mountain to sell the herbs." After saying that, she was about to walk away.

"Hey, young man." The team leader hurriedly grabbed Lin Xiaozao, took out a handful of silver and stuffed it into his hand, "The Prime Minister's mansion bought this medicine, so please do us a favor and tell us where we can find Young Master Yan."

Lin Xiaozhao's heart pounded wildly; this was the first time he had ever lied. But seeing that the man had indeed given him a large sum of money, just as the man in the blue robe had said, he felt both excited and flustered. He suppressed his emotions and recalled the string of place names the man in the blue robe had mentioned: "Heque Mountain in the south of the city, the ancient temple in the west of the city, Zuimeng Tower, Qingfeng Pavilion. Young master might go to these places."

The team leader frowned deeply; the four locations were practically diametrically opposed: "Are you sure?"

Lin Xiaozao put on an expression that said, "Young Master is used to a life of leisure, and these places are just possibilities."

The team leader didn't look too good, but he still thanked them and led his group away in a hurry.

Just as the man in the blue robe had predicted, those people left without even taking the herbs. Lin Xiaozhao stared blankly at the money in her hand, in disbelief. This money was clearly used to buy the places the man in the blue robe had mentioned.

"You've come back to life." The man in the blue robe walked over at some point, took the jade pendant from his hand and carefully fastened it to his waist, then took the bamboo basket and carried it on his back.

Lin Xiaozhao snapped out of her daze and saw that the man in the blue robe had already leisurely walked away, his back view calm and composed. "My mother's illness can finally be cured," Lin Xiaozhao thought, grinning as she clutched the money in her hand and quickened her pace down the mountain.

Compared to the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere of the two who had achieved their goals on the mountain, the atmosphere inside the Prime Minister's residence was much more silent.

Four or five imperial physicians frowned and discussed the matter in low, serious voices in the hall. Nie Anru, who sat in the main seat, had a gloomy expression with hidden worry and impatience.

The consul, who had rushed back, stepped forward to report: "Sir, we have sent all available manpower to search the four possible locations mentioned by Young Master Yan's attendant."

Nie Anru was about to give some instructions when he felt something was amiss. After a moment's thought, he asked instead, "Young Master Yan's attendant?"

"A boy of fifteen or sixteen, with Young Master Yan's jade pendant as proof." The consul quickly reported the details.

Nie Anru pondered for a moment, then his brows suddenly furrowed tightly: "This man has always been unconventional and free-spirited, always coming and going alone without restraint."

"I have never heard of any servants."

"It was my overly hasty decision." The consul hurriedly knelt down and asked, "Prime Minister Nie, should we continue searching those places?"

"Find him! Draw a picture of that servant and follow him!" Nie Anru slammed his teacup down on the table, turned and left, heading towards the room in the inner courtyard.

Inside the elegant and refined woman's boudoir, the scent of incense mixed with medicine wafted out as soon as the door opened, hitting the furious Nie Anru in the face. The woman, pale-faced and with pale lips, remained unconscious, her eyes closed and her breathing weak. Beside the bed sat a dignified middle-aged woman with a sorrowful expression.

Looking at his youngest daughter's increasingly thin and haggard face and his wife's moist eyes, Nie Anru composed himself, sighed, and murmured, "Qingyue will be alright. Those imperial physicians said she wouldn't live past eighteen, but she's still alive at twenty. Madam, don't worry too much and ruin your health."

The woman looked at her daughter's weak and sickly face and nodded blankly.

No one noticed the slight trembling of the soft, boneless hand under the blanket.

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Chapter 2

Nie Qingyue admitted that for a split second she was purely seeking death.

When she saw the child rush across the road against the red light to retrieve a ball, even though she knew that if she intervened, she would be the one to die, she still rushed forward without hesitation and pulled the child away. At six or seven years old, the child was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper. If that child had survived, he would surely have had a more exciting and joyful life than she had.

The thought was there, and the foot had already taken the first step.

As a critically ill patient, it is indeed a pity to give up the six months of life I've been told I have left, but that child still has decades ahead of him, doesn't he? Besides, that kind of rigidly controlled life isn't interesting. From birth, he was groomed to be the successor of the Nie family, and everything he learned was for the purpose of better managing the entire family's business. Every step of his life had been planned out, seemingly so orderly that he could foresee the day he would die.

She was in so much pain when the car hit her that she immediately went into shock, or perhaps she thought she was going to die at that moment.

However, after a long, or perhaps short, period of emptiness and darkness, I seem to still have some awareness. It's just that I feel trapped in a dream, unable to escape. I can sense someone beside me, and there seems to be a faint scent of medicine.

Nie Qingyue tried to sit up, her fingers twitching slightly, but soon it was as if the nerves in her limbs had been disconnected from her brain, and no matter what commands she gave, her whole body could not move an inch.

A clear, gentle, yet slightly cold male voice sounded from beside the bed: "Half a month ago, I predicted that Miss Nie wouldn't live more than three days, yet Prime Minister Nie repeatedly begged me to come back for another examination. Now that Miss Nie is still clinging to life, it proves my medical skills are inadequate. Prime Minister Nie has arrested a completely unrelated child and distributed the child's portrait throughout the city to force me to return. What excellent judgment, what excellent methods, and what a doting father he is!" Every word was sarcastic, spoken with a calm and unwavering tone, showing no respect or fear towards the Prime Minister of a nation.

“Young Master Yan, my daughter did indeed stop breathing more than ten days ago.” The middle-aged man, still composed despite such disrespect, spoke earnestly, “My wife was so grief-stricken that she refused to bury her and stayed up all night. Perhaps it was Heaven’s mercy, but the next day Qingyue was still alive. Keeping the child was a last resort, and I hope Young Master Yan can lend a helping hand once again. A doctor’s heart is like a parent’s; Qingyue is only twenty years old, how can Young Master Yan bear to let her leave like this? I thank you in advance.” With that, he lifted his robe and was about to kneel down.

The man in the blue robe swiftly caught Nie Anru before he knelt down, saying calmly, "Such a grand gesture is unnecessary; I am unfortunate." He then turned to Nie Qingyue, who was still unconscious, took her pulse, and frowned after a moment's thought. "Although Miss Nie is breathing, her health has deteriorated. My methods only offer a 30% chance of survival. Whether to save her and provide long-term medical care or to avoid the danger of her immediate death is a decision for Prime Minister Nie to make."

After a long silence, Nie Anru finally steeled himself and nodded.

Nie Qingyue, who had been silently sensing everything, now had a clear mind. Had she transmigrated in this melodramatic way just to die again? She suddenly wanted to open her eyes and see the man who had been mocking Prime Minister Nie and the powerful old man who had knelt before his daughter.

Her eyes were naturally closed, as Nie Qingyue felt a slight stinging pain all over her body before plunging back into darkness.

...

I truly woke up on a night with a bright moon and a cool breeze on my face.

Instead of the luxurious beds and brocade quilts she had imagined, Nie Qingyue found herself in a lush courtyard, leaning against a large, smooth, and delicate jade stone, covered with a cloak that exuded a faint medicinal fragrance.

The cicadas chirped softly, the night lamp cast a warm yellow glow, and the moonlight, clear and bright, cast sparse shadows of bamboo and cypress trees. The confusion and bewilderment of arriving in this strange land were quietly dissolved by the pale moon and gentle breeze of the night. Standing quietly under the lamp was a young man, dressed in a blue robe, with clear and elegant features. His dark hair was only loosely tied back with a coarse cloth ribbon, giving him a casual and languid air. His gaze remained calm and serene as he looked at her.

Seeing that she was awake, he slightly curved his lips, a clear light flashing in his eyes, and said a few words to her as his thin lips opened and closed.

Many years later, Nie Qingyue forgot the scenery of that night and the troubles of her past life, but she still remembered what Yan Shu said to her that night. His voice was as cold and clear as a flute, yet as clear as falling jade. He smiled faintly and said, "Once you're awake, don't go back to sleep."

Yan Shu's words may have been unintentional and a coincidence, or he may have genuinely noticed her weak will to survive, but the impact of that moment certainly influenced her entire attitude towards life thereafter.

Nie Qingyue remained silent, only quietly watching the first man she saw upon opening her eyes, his elegant demeanor imbued with the gentle atmosphere of a thousand years ago.

Nie Qingyue spent five days silently in the courtyard that Yan Shu had temporarily rented before she finally accepted that she had transmigrated into the body of the daughter of the Prime Minister of Yingmo Kingdom and had a completely different life with the same name as her in her previous life.

One fact, in particular, took up most of her time to accept.

---The man named Yan Shu, who was sometimes gentle and sometimes unrestrained, was her soon-to-be husband. Moreover, it was said that her father, Nie Anru, had used a combination of persuasion and coercion to force Yan Shu to marry him, using old favors that were almost buried in the ground.

This is truly unbearable.

Looking helplessly at the pair of lustrous white jade pendants in her hands, Nie Qingyue slowly pieced them together, following the red cracks along the edges, to form a complete circle. Yan Shu told her that these were her birth mother's keepsakes. Years ago, her master owed someone a debt and left half a piece of jade as a mark, promising that no matter how much time had passed, anyone who needed the jade could use it to fulfill a wish. Her master died, and naturally, the debt fell to his disciple to repay. But unexpectedly, that person also passed away, and the jade remained in Nie Anru's hands.

After learning that Nie Qingyue had survived, Nie Anru pondered for a moment before taking out the jade and forcing her into marriage. With his daughter married to Yan Shu, her frail life would naturally be secured, at least allowing her to live out the rest of her days in peace.

As for why Nie Anru would rather abandon his reputation and integrity and resort to petty tricks, and rather abandon his dignity and kneel down to beg for Yan Shu's treatment than take out the jade pendant from the beginning, Nie Qingyue thought she could probably guess a bit about it.

That debt was owed by Master Yan Shu to her birth mother; it was probably a tangled and complicated emotional debt.

Nie Anru loved Nie Qingyue's birth mother and also loved her as his daughter. That's why he abandoned her, begged her, and even coerced her. For her sake, he made such careful considerations and concessions. Even though she wasn't his father, Nie Qingyue, who had never felt much affection for family in her previous life, was deeply moved.

Lost in thought, Yan Shu had already sat down beside her. "Your illness requires continued treatment, but many of the medicinal herbs are elsewhere. I plan to leave the city tomorrow." As he spoke, he slowly laid out several small dishes and a bowl of white porridge on the table. "Would you like to come along?"

The man before her, whose appearance was as free and easy as a traditional Chinese ink painting, was looking at her with questioning eyes. The afternoon sun was shining brightly, casting a warm golden glow throughout the room.

Why not go? We should live life to the fullest again, a life filled with unknowns and possibilities.

Nie Qingyue suddenly smiled, her smile as bright as sunlight: "Okay."

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Chapter 3

In ancient times, unspoiled landscapes and natural scenery were refreshing and pleasant. Unfortunately, on this cool, moonlit night, Nie Qingyue felt utterly weary sitting in a room filled with festive decorations.

Initially, for the sake of convenience and quiet recuperation during treatment, Yan Shu took Nie Qingyue back to his own courtyard immediately after administering acupuncture. Given the gravity of the situation, Nie Anru readily agreed. However, now that the two had returned to the Nie family to symbolically inform them that they would be leaving the city the next day to seek medicine, Lord Nie Anru's reply was as direct as a prime minister's: "Alright, get married first."

Nie Qingyue looked at the mature and refined middle-aged man and secretly regretted her actions. No matter how much he loved his daughter, he was still a man under the rule of feudal society, and his daughter's reputation was indeed very important. When she tried to refuse the marriage proposal, she was lectured with classical texts, the topic of which was the importance and necessity for an unmarried woman to live with an unmarried man for five days before getting married.

Yan Shu simply acted as if he was cooperating and inviting the other party to do as he pleased, so Prime Minister Nie quickly used his extensive network of connections and married off his daughter that very night.

The charming and charismatic doctor unexpectedly falls for the talented but plain-looking daughter of the prime minister. The people of the capital are delighted to offer their warmest blessings to the newlyweds, along with their gossipy curiosity. So, at dozens of tables with hundreds of people, Young Master Yan smiles nonchalantly while inwardly churning with emotion, toasting each table with a thousand cups of wine without stopping.

On the other side, amidst the warm glow of red candles and curtains, Nie Qingyue sat in the bridal chamber, caught in a dilemma. She lifted the bridal veil, picked up her chopsticks, and decided to eat first.

Without the pressure of navigating the family business step by step after transmigrating, Nie Qingyue inherited most of this body's memories. Furthermore, tomorrow she would be leaving the Nie family mansion to travel far away with her newly acquainted, or rather, newly married, husband. This situation, free from any worries or anxieties, made her quite satisfied.

Just as they were about to put down their chopsticks after enjoying their meal for a long time, the door was pushed open. Yan Shu seemed to have drunk quite a bit; his eyes were clear and bright, and his dark-patterned red satin wedding robe made his handsome face appear somewhat languid and alluring. A group of young officials jokingly pushed him into the bridal chamber, and the door was slammed shut behind them.

And so, one man finished his drink, the other his meal, and they gazed at each other silently for a few seconds. Yan Shu lowered his eyes slightly, and the previously dreamy and intoxicated expression vanished the moment he opened them, returning to his former clear and composed self.

Nie Qingyue suddenly felt a little embarrassed and awkward. After all, regarding the marriage, the two of them had tacitly agreed not to discuss it further after being informed. Yan Shu, of course, couldn't disobey his teacher's orders, and no matter how carefree and charming he had been before, he had no other choice. After her protests proved ineffective, Nie Qingyue didn't intend to openly defy Nie Anru. She couldn't bear to, and didn't want to, offend her well-intentioned father.

After a moment of silence, Yan Shu sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating, while Nie Qingyue touched the rim of his cup and drank some wine.

There was no wedding night, of course. Nie Qingyue clearly sensed that Yan Shu had no romantic feelings for her; it was merely the care a doctor would show to a patient and basic male etiquette. If she were the one being threatened and forced into marriage, she probably would have already turned a cold shoulder to that man.

“Madam’s current health condition is not suitable for drinking too much. One cup warms the body, but two cups will harm it.” Yan Shu leisurely swallowed the food in his mouth, his demeanor still elegant: “You should go to bed and rest early.”

…That "Madam" was so natural and fitting, it was almost mesmerizing. Nie Qingyue put down the sweet and mellow wine in her hand, and like a child who had done something wrong, she guiltily touched her nose. "Mmm," she murmured, then listlessly made her way to the bedside, covered herself with the blanket, and lay down to sleep without even taking off her outer clothes. It wasn't that she was worried Yan Shu would do anything to her, but it was just that she never felt at ease sleeping with others around.