Deng Fei was a top student in modern history who unexpectedly transmigrated into the body of a poor scholar in ancient times. In this seemingly prosperous age, the path through the imperial examinations was firmly controlled by powerful clans, leaving common-born candidates no chance to get ahead. Armed with modern knowledge and a longing for fairness, Deng Fei entered the examination hall, only to face one obstacle after another from the great families. An examiner casually marked her work “incoherent,” and a courtesan, acting on someone’s orders, tore up her poem. From the county exam all the way to the palace exam, every step was beset with thorns. Yet Deng Fei drew on her modern knowledge to find a way through every crisis. Using what she knew about the course of history, she planned ahead and exposed the clans’ schemes. But as she began to distinguish herself, the clans grew increasingly wary and started spreading rumors to smear her, plunging her into a crisis of trust. With the imperial examinations drawing ever closer, Deng Fei had to overcome the clans’ obstruction and earn a degree before time ran out. Along the way, she gradually saw the corruption of the official world clearly and resolved to change its cruel rules through her own efforts. At last, as the apricot blossoms blazed outside the examination compound, she broke the clans’ monopoly and opened a new path for candidates from humble families.
