Born into a farming family, Yan Ruyu is adored by his whole family. His father is honest and good-natured, his mother is skillful with her hands, and even his eldest uncle is a learned man. They say he should spend his life working the land, but from childhood he’s been fair-skinned, handsome, and graceful. Since farm life is so peaceful, why not take the imperial examinations for fun? He can recite Tang poems and Song lyrics at will, and soon the whole countryside knows him as a child prodigy. He thought he was in for a pastoral coming-of-age story, but before he knew it, he had gone from a farmer’s son to the imperial palace, achieving the unprecedented feat of placing first in all six levels of the examinations. This is a warm, everyday story with a light touch of imperial examinations and a slow, steady pace.
