Taking My Brother’s Place in the Imperial Exams, I Became the Court’s Beloved

The twin brother is afraid their strict father will beat him to death if he fails the imperial examinations, so he leaves a note and runs away on the eve of the provincial exam. To save her family, the modern-day top student Xie Qingci, who has transmigrated into this world, can only bind her chest and disguise herself as a man to take the exam in her brother’s place. During the body search at the examination hall, Xie Qingci narrowly gets through with her intelligence and spending power. Once inside, she faces the eight-legged essay and policy questions, then writes “A Plan to Enrich the Country and Strengthen the Military,” stunning the chief examiner. She goes on to win first place in all three imperial examinations and is personally named the top scholar. On the day she parades through the streets on horseback, her red robe and peerless bearing win the secret admiration of girls across the capital. She also catches the attention of the scheming Grand Secretary, the aloof State Preceptor, and the unruly young marquis. In court, she debates the assembled scholars and proposes all kinds of new policies to benefit the country and its people, rising step by step through the ranks. Several powerful men who dominate the court become entangled in a fierce romantic tug-of-war. The Grand Secretary corners her against a wall. “Lord Xie, how do you intend to atone for the crime of deceiving the emperor?”