The boy who fell into the trap was definitely not an ordinary little servant.

He was the well-known, talented third son of the Earl of Yōngchāng, Qiáo Yùjǐng.

As for how such a noble young master ended up alone in the mountains, the reason is quite a long story.

Like Xiè Wényàn, Qiáo Yùjǐng was also reborn.

However, unlike Xiè Wényàn, who was a treacherous minister known for his tumultuous past and infamous reputation, Qiáo Yùjǐng’s previous life was much simpler, yet equally tragic.

In his last life, Qiáo Yùjǐng died at the tender age of 20!

The Earl of Yōngchāng had three children in total.

The eldest son, the second brother, and the third son, with Qiáo Yùjǐng being the youngest.

The eldest brother was the legitimate heir of the family, so it was no surprise that he was doted on by their parents. However, he and the second brother were both young masters, yet their circumstances were worlds apart, like clouds and mud.

From childhood to adulthood, their parents and eldest brother showered the second brother with smiles, care, and attention; while he, on the other hand, was met with indifference and neglect, never receiving a smile.

Whenever he and the second brother made the same mistake, it was always him who faced the scolding and punishment.

But, he was an optimistic person and took things lightly. Although he wasn’t favored in the household, he had enough to eat and wear, with beautiful clothes and accessories, so he didn’t feel jealous about anything.

As long as he didn’t mind their cold attitude, life was quite comfortable for him.

When he grew up, he thought he could find a suitable husband and live a respectful and harmonious life.

Unfortunately, he was just too unlucky.

He didn’t actively make enemies, but he couldn’t help it if others were petty.

His half-sister, thinking that his marriage prospects were better, plotted against him, causing him to fall into the water, where he was saved by a scoundrel.

Not wanting to marry a scoundrel and fearing for his reputation, he ultimately chose to leave home and become a monk.

In truth, if his parents and eldest brother had been willing to help him plan, he could have married someone of slightly lesser status far away.

But sadly, his family didn’t like him and wouldn’t lift a finger for him, so he could only choose to end his life in a temple with a flickering lamp.

Yet, he didn’t get to live that life for long!

On a quiet night when he was 20, he was inexplicably murdered…

After his death, as a wandering ghost, he finally understood why, despite being a legitimate son, the second brother was so favored by their parents while he was treated with indifference.

It turned out that he and the second brother were not actually full-blooded brothers.

The second brother was the child of his father’s beloved mistress, so his father cherished him. Meanwhile, his mother, in an attempt to please his father, not only recognized the second brother as her legitimate child but also doted on this child of an extramarital affair.

As for him, he was the illegitimate child born from his mother’s affair to get back at his father.

Thus, his mother despised him, and although his father didn’t know his true identity, he disliked him simply because he resembled his mother…

And the one who killed him was none other than a guard from the Earl’s household.

The reason was that his true identity was exposed; his biological father was actually a trusted eunuch of the Emperor.

To help the second brother, who had become a consort to the Crown Prince, the Earl’s household had the second brother take his place to deceive his biological father into helping them seize the throne, which is why they wanted to kill him to silence him.

Qiáo Yùjǐng was filled with sadness and anger.

It was one thing for the Earl’s household to make such a choice; after all, he wasn’t their biological son, so it was normal for them to be ruthless.

But why was his mother so heartless!

Since she chose to have an affair to get back at her husband, why was she so kind to the child of her rival, even sacrificing her own son to support the child of her rival? It was truly maddening.

What was even more outrageous was that it later came to light that his biological father was actually the Earl’s son, and that his kind grandmother had switched the children…

The grudges of two generations were all a result of madness!

In any case, the tangled relationships were simply impossible to unravel.

So, after being reborn, Qiáo Yùjǐng’s biggest wish was to distance himself from these crazy people and to ensure that his biological father would no longer be deceived and used, living a tragic life.

Of course, revenge was still necessary.

He was kind-hearted, but not foolish; he wouldn’t let others hurt him without fighting back.

Today, Qiáo Yùjǐng had come to the mountains alone to confirm the treasure location of the Earl’s household that he had discovered after becoming a ghost in his previous life.

As long as he could move those gold and silver treasures away, let’s see how the Earl’s household would support the Crown Prince, and how the second brother would become a consort!

But unexpectedly, his luck ran out, and while preparing to leave the mountain, he accidentally fell into a trap.

To make matters worse, after shouting for help for a long time, the person who finally came by was a cold-hearted and ruthless individual.

“Once you’re dead, everything valuable on you will belong to me.”

Qiáo Yùjǐng stared in disbelief at the man looking down at him from above the trap.

How could such a handsome man with a gentle smile say such cold-blooded, cruel words?

Is this something a normal person would say?

Qiáo Yùjǐng felt a chill run down his spine, realizing he might have encountered a tough opponent.

But he was unwilling to die in the mountains like this; he had just been reborn, hadn’t yet reunited with his father, hadn’t settled scores with his enemies from his past life, and hadn’t even enjoyed a good life.

He didn’t want to die like this; he would die with his eyes wide open!

Grinding his teeth, Qiáo Yùjǐng could only reveal his identity and plead again.

“Sir, these few pieces of jewelry on me are only worth about a hundred taels. If you need money, if you save me, my family can give you more!”

“Sir, I’m sorry, but I’m not just any little servant. I am the legitimate third son of the Earl of Yōngchāng. I was just hiding my identity today for business and did not intend to deceive you.”

“As long as you can save me, I will definitely have someone deliver a thousand taels of silver to thank you.”

After all, his identity hadn’t been exposed yet, and the Earl’s household had harmed him and his biological father in his past life, so it was completely fine for him to spend a little more of their silver.

The young master’s face was filled with anxiety, tears welling in his eyes.

He looked so pitiful that it was heart-wrenching.

Unfortunately, Xiè Wényàn’s heart was as hard as iron!

In his past life, he had never married and had no romantic entanglements, but having stood in high positions twice, he had seen countless beauties, yet not one had made him feel pity.

Even the most beautiful person in the world, in front of him, was no match for power.

However, the Earl of Yōngchāng seemed to be the maternal family of that scoundrel’s consort to the Crown Prince, which piqued his interest.

Xiè Wényàn crossed his arms and chuckled.

“Thank you? It would be more appropriate to silence you later. Young master, don’t think just because I’m an ordinary commoner that I don’t know. You highborn families value your reputation the most.”

“If a young master or young lady from your family is saved by a stranger, to maintain their reputation, those with status would offer themselves in gratitude, while those without status would be silenced. If I save you, it would cost me my life.”

He was all too familiar with the methods and thoughts of the noble families.

“This…”

Qiáo Yùjǐng was left speechless because it was indeed true.

But he was genuinely seeking help and gratitude; he never thought of taking someone’s life in return. He couldn’t do such a thing as repaying kindness with enmity.

However, such dry words clearly wouldn’t convince anyone.

Especially since the man in front of him was not only clever but also seemed a bit ruthless.

But he really didn’t want to die here.

Qiáo Yùjǐng was almost crying in desperation, wiping his tears as he asked, “Then what does the sir want in order to save me?”

Although he had been a ghost for many years in his past life, he had only been 20 when he died, and after becoming a ghost, he hadn’t communicated with anyone, so his emotional maturity was still quite young.

Xiè Wényàn didn’t expect that after just two sentences, the other party would start crying.

He clicked his tongue at the little crybaby in his heart.

He continued coldly, “I don’t know. You’re the one begging me, so how you express your gratitude is up to you. I’m a righteous man, but I can’t do things like holding a grudge for a favor.”

You really are a good person!

Qiáo Yùjǐng’s eyes were red. How could he be so unlucky to run into such a scoundrel?

After thinking for a moment, Qiáo Yùjǐng finally gritted his teeth and made a desperate move, “Then, I’ll give you a personal item. This way, after you save me, you won’t have to worry about me turning against you.”

“If my family comes to trouble you later, you can freely spread the word and ruin the Earl’s reputation.”

Xiè Wényàn was taken aback by his words.

He really hadn’t expected this young master to be so willing to go all out for his life.

Suddenly curious, he asked, “Aren’t you afraid that I might use this against the Earl’s household to force a marriage? After all, you are the Earl’s legitimate son. If I marry you, do I still need that thousand taels of reward?”

Qiáo Yùjǐng: …

What kind of bad person is this!

He was considering his situation, and yet he turned around and bit back!

Qiáo Yùjǐng felt ashamed and furious, and in a moment of desperation, he simply said, “If you want to do that, I don’t mind! After all, I’m not the most favored in the household, my looks are ordinary, and I even snore and fart when I sleep.”

“I’ve already lost my purity; my lover abandoned me, and now I’m carrying a wild child in my belly. I can’t find a good marriage, so if you’re willing to take me, I’d be very happy!”

In truth, it was all a lie, but that didn’t stop him from talking nonsense.

After all, there was no one else around, and the man in front of him definitely wouldn’t think that a young master from a noble family would shamelessly tell such lies.

He didn’t believe that after he had gone this far, the other party would still have any bad ideas about him.

Xiè Wényàn hadn’t intended to think about him in that way.

But he was indeed taken aback by his words.

The third son of the Earl of Yōngchāng, he had known in his past life that he had ruined his reputation by falling into the water, and to protect his family’s name, he had voluntarily gone to a temple to live a life of seclusion.

But was it really not a ruined reputation from falling into the water, but rather an affair that led to the family covering up the scandal?

Tsk tsk.

He really hadn’t expected this little young master, delicate as he seemed, to have such a bold side.

However, there were many things where you couldn’t judge a person by their appearance; he himself was handsome but had a heart full of malice.

Xiè Wényàn collected his thoughts and ultimately shook his head.

“I know so many of your secrets now, so I can’t save you. I’m just an ordinary hunter and can’t afford to provoke highborn nobles. You might as well go die.”

“Don’t worry, considering the jewelry and treasures on you, I’ll definitely help you collect your corpse properly.”

With that, Xiè Wényàn turned to leave, his heart as hard as stone.

Qiáo Yùjǐng: !

Qiáo Yùjǐng cried out in a panic, quickly calling out again.

“Don’t go! Sir, I’ll agree to anything you want. I was just lying to you; I haven’t lost my purity, I don’t snore or fart when I sleep, and I actually look quite good…”

“If you really want the wealth of the Earl’s household, I’ll marry you.”

“Really, I’m not lying! If you don’t believe me, I’ll take off my makeup to show you.”

He didn’t care who he married in this life; after all, all men were pretty much the same, with multiple wives and concubines, living life that way.

He just didn’t want to die like this.

He had just been reborn and hadn’t had the chance to do anything yet, hadn’t even reunited with his biological father, and he truly felt unwilling to die like this.

Hearing the cries behind him, Xiè Wényàn turned back with a smirk.

“I don’t need you to offer yourself in gratitude. If you want me to save you, you can help me with one thing.”

He remembered that in his past life, the Earl of Yōngchāng was one of the Crown Prince’s financial backers.

What is beauty?

Wealth and power are what he truly desired!

The author has something to say:
Today’s Xiè Gong: What is beauty? Go away.
Future Xiè Gong: Hmm, my wife is truly fragrant~
……………………
Let’s summarize the situation of the protagonist’s family:

1. Earl of Yōngchāng: On the surface, the lord of the Earl’s household, but in reality, a fake young master swapped due to past grievances.
2. Lady of the Earl: A love-struck brain.
3. The protagonist’s eldest brother: The Earl and Lady’s biological son.
4. The protagonist’s second brother: The Earl’s son with the beloved mistress, an illegitimate child.
5. The protagonist: The illegitimate child born from the Lady’s affair, whose affair partner is the “real young master” who swapped identities with the Earl.
   (Well, that’s about it… The Earl of Yōngchāng involves grudges spanning two generations, but I won’t go into detail; it will be revealed slowly in the following chapters.)