A sudden accident sent Song Zhiyan and her family of three hurtling from modern life into an ancient era of disaster. No System or golden finger, and no wealthy relatives to rely on. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a desperate world of bare cupboards and corpses littering the land. With greedy local gentry exploiting them and famine and disease closing in, they had no choice but to shoulder their packs and join the endless tide of refugees.
Chewing tree bark, drinking muddy water, avoiding soldiers and bandits, and battling corrupt officials, Song Zhiyan struggled on the brink of death while dragging along her frail parents. While others groveled for a mouthful of food, she used her modern knowledge to identify medicinal herbs and trade them for grain, and improved tools to reclaim land, carving out a sliver of hope for her family in the depths of despair.
But she knew that in chaotic times, mere survival was far from enough. Seeing her parents' bent backs as they endured abuse, and hearing the powerful sneer that “women don't need an education,” Song Zhiyan clenched the tattered book she'd come across by chance.
“Dad, Mom, if we want to stand tall in these troubled times, muscle alone won't be enough. We need brains, and the words written in this book!”
On the road fleeing famine, she seized every chance to study. While reclaiming wasteland and building up grain stores, she kept annotating books by lamplight. Others mocked her for dreaming that a woman could study, but she was determined to enter school. Everyone believed the civil service exams were for men alone, but she was determined to take up her brush and cross the single-plank bridge that so many aspired to traverse.
County, prefectural, and academy exams... She overcame every challenge and astounded everyone with her talent. At court, she debated the scholars and presented strategies to bring peace to the realm.
From a frail orphan girl on the road fleeing famine to the most renowned champion of the civil service exams in the land, Song Zhiyan not only freed her family from a life of hardship and displacement, but also carved out a place for herself in this era of male dominance.
No Crossing for the Mortal Heart
The Nine Phoenixes’ Record of Fate
A Humble Scholar's Esteemed Son-in-Law: From the Start, He Marries the Minister's Daughter
Transmigrating Into an Interstellar Novel: I'm Just Here to Tag Along
Transmigrating into a Book in the Interstellar World, the Laid-Back Supporting Heroine Wins by Doing Nothing