Looking for Stories About Women Disguised as Men Taking the Imperial Exams, No CP, Like Ming Yuelang or Xu Yue 求女扮男装科举文，无CP，像明月郎许玥那样的

1. 1 手 With the Notable Ministers System in Hand, I Disguise Myself as a Man in Ancient Times 手拿名臣系统，我在古代女扮男装 Tianyang Peak, Who Loves Handmade Wheat Dumplings爱吃手工麦饺的天阳峰Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Xu Yue transmigrates into a book. She becomes the delicate, vulnerable cousin of the male lead in an examination-themed novel: her mother died young, she has no brothers and no one to rely on, and her family won't take her in, so she is awkwardly forced to live in the male lead's home. In her previous life, Xu Yue rose from being an orphan to earning a doctorate. She never believed in fate, and even though it was hard for women to get by in ancient times, she never stopped thinking about how to 119.8kReads9.6Score11.5k14d adds

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   The second book is absolutely amazing; it made me cry, especially the part about the grandmother's death: "Without my grandmother, I would not be where I am today. Without me, my grandmother would not be able to live out her remaining years." The first book, "Xu Yue," is also incredibly good. Xu Yue is truly like a celestial being, yet she has a great sense of humor, and the author's writing is superb, just like Xu Yue herself, like gentle moonlight shining into everyone's heart. The third book doesn't have a system, and the female protagonist is incredibly intelligent, uncovering the truth step by step. The female characters in it are also very powerful. The fourth book is "The Fairy of the Xie Family," by Xie Yuheng. I'm currently reading "The Nine-Year-Old Top Scholar." The female protagonist's family is all very kind. The female protagonists in all four books are incredibly hardworking, achieving the highest rank in the imperial examinations. Following their gaze, you feel genuinely happy for them. Their goals are all the same: to improve the lives of the people and make that country better. The female protagonists have great love in their hearts, and they even conquered that island nation, gradually improving the status of women in that era. Reading this made me very happy; their happiness made me happy, and their sadness made me sad. The authors of these four books are all exceptionally good, demonstrating a truly profound cultural foundation. They are definitely worth reading—a story about a woman disguising herself as a man to pass the imperial examinations.

2. 2 开 From the Start, Disguised as a Man, I Rose to First Rank Through the Imperial Exams 开局女扮男装，我靠科举官居一品 I Want to Make Money爷要赚钱Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Disguised as a man + imperial examinations and court intrigue + rises to the highest office + one heroine, focused on her career] When Xie Qingfeng opens her eyes, she's handed a nightmare of a life: a house with bare walls, and a woman forced to disguise herself as a man. In an age when everything is considered inferior to scholarship, if she doesn't fight for her place, she'll be crushed to pieces. Since she's here, she'll give it everything she's got! As a woman, she enters the imperial cour 48kReads9.3Score5.9k14d adds
3. 3 科 Imperial Exam Triumph: The Strongest Female Grand Secretary 科举逆袭：最强女首辅 Dressed in Splendor宝妆成Ancient Romance1.8M WordsCompleted After finally becoming the first female heir in her family, she opens her eyes and finds herself back before the revolution. Her father is dead from the start, leaving her with a frail mother and three beautiful older sisters. She is the only son who can carry on the Cheng family line... Cheng Qing looks down at her slightly developed chest, wondering what on earth went wrong. Surrounded by scheming wolves, Cheng Qing, now with a new soul in her body, sets herself two small goals: First, keep pr 8.2kReads9.5Score1.3k14d adds
4. 4 开 My Ancestors’ Graves Started Smoking from the Start: Disguised as a Man, I Take the Imperial Exams 开局祖坟冒青烟，女扮男装科举忙 Jiang Suiwan江岁晚Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted Xie Yuheng transmigrates from the Apocalypse to a farming household, where a tyrant rules the land. With no other choice, she disguises herself as a boy. As she grows older, everyone in the surrounding villages comes to know that the Xie family's prodigy has an exceptionally clever mind. Too bad he's a sickly weakling who can't lift a finger or carry a load. Bystander: “You're so noble, so impressive! Your sickly family member just kicked someone through a wall!” The Xie family: “Does the head o 12.2kReads9.2Score1.7k14d adds
5. 5 朝 A Peasant at Dawn, a Courtier by Dusk 朝为田舍郎暮登天子堂 Oh, Meimei昧昧我啊Ancient Romance232k WordsCompleted The author is terrible at naming things. [No transmigration, no System, no rebirth, no romance + imperial-examination story + woman disguised as a man + growth-oriented heroine + slow and steady pacing + political intrigue] Reader comment: This book depicts both the power struggles in officialdom and the warmth between family and friends with great subtlety. It's a story full of heart. The author writes so well! (Hehe, a reader praised me, hehe.) Without a grandson, the family's estate is bound 89Reads—Score—14d adds

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   No time travel, no system, no rebirth—everyone who's read it says it's great! No cliffhangers! No romance + imperial examination + female disguised as male + a female protagonist who grows through character development + slow and steady growth + power struggles.

6. 6 穿 I Transmigrated as the Villainous Tycoon's Son, So I Joined Him in His Evil Ways 穿成反派大佬之子，我同流合污 A Prosperous Opening开市大吉Ancient Romance639k WordsCompleted [Complete] [No romance × woman disguised as a man × strong heroine × transmigrate into a book] [Pure antagonist's perspective × no unnecessary romantic entanglements × ruthless and merciless] [No situation where the male lead is stronger than the strong female lead] When Zheng Luoqi wakes up, she discovers that she has transmigrated into a romance novel as the daughter of its main villain. Step by step, Zheng Luoqi watches her father become a great corrupt official. Then the male and female lead 2.7kReads9.0Score28414d adds

   Reader note

   Yes, this is a story about a woman disguised as a man, and it's also a bit about political intrigue. I think the author is really talented, and I enjoyed it a lot. There's no romantic pairing in the whole story.

7. 7 女 A Woman Transmigrates as a Man: A Farmer’s Road to the Imperial Exams 女穿男：农家子的科举青云路 Shang Xinghe裳星河Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [Female-to-male transmigration + imperial examinations + romance later on + remembered in history + founding the family tree] In her previous life, Qin Huan grew up in an orphanage and worked her way into a university degree. She landed a job at a major company and was on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of success. Her only regret was never having much family to speak of. When she opened her eyes again, she had traveled from modern times to the past, and from a woman to a man. She had become 9.4kReads9.0Score1k14d adds

   Reader note

   I pushed hard!

8. 8 做 The First Thing I Did as a County Magistrate: Feed the Whole County 做女县令第一件事：让全县吃饱饭 Jasmine Milk Tea茉莉牛乳茶Ancient Romance3.0M WordsOngoing [Farming + infrastructure development + improving people’s livelihoods + System + a female magistrate’s rise to power] Shen Zheng opens her eyes to find she’s become a newly appointed female magistrate. The county office is so poor that plaster is crumbling off the walls, and the granary is so empty even the mice stay away. Everyone knows that the poorest county in all of Liuyang Prefecture is this very county, Tong’an. Just as she thinks she’ll have to waste three years in Tong’an before retiri 17.4kReads9.2Score1.9k14d adds

   Reader note

   They're all really good, and there's no romantic pairing.

9. 9 女 A Woman Reborn as a Woman Leads Her Family and Country to Prosperity 女穿女，带领家国走繁荣 Assam Milk Tea阿萨姆奶茶Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted (Strong heroine, infrastructure, feel-good story, no System, steady updates) No CP. If you love stories with a powerful female lead, you’re in luck! Chu Ci, a science PhD from the 21st century, transmigrated to the Longteng Dynasty. Soon after arriving, she was caught up in a disaster that befell the Chu family. Framed by the Right Chancellor, she went from a noblewoman of the capital to a humble county magistrate, taking over her father’s post. Songyang County. Assistant county magistrate An Bi 741Reads8.8Score10314d adds
10. 10 贪 The Corrupt Official's Redemption 贪官洗白录 Homebody King宅大王1.0M WordsCompleted [Modern soul in an ancient world, woman transmigrates into a man's body, with a personal dimension, no romance, focused on building a career] After fifteen years of struggling in the officialdom, I, Chen Le, came home still a county magistrate, disillusioned and ready to retire with a little money tucked away. A month after returning to my hometown, I went to sleep and kicked the bucket. And so Chen Leni arrived: a woman in a man's body, suddenly young, then old. She was baffled! And there was s 255Reads8.4Score3014d adds
11. 11 我 I Passed the Palace Exam, and You're Telling Me I'm a Princess? 我都中状元了，你说我是公主？ Give Me a Little Star给我一颗小星星Ancient Romance587k WordsOngoing [No romance, female emperor] Yun Zhao is reborn into the family of a wealthy merchant in ancient times. At first, she thinks a life of comfort, with everything she needs and someone to look after her, sounds pretty good. Then she learns that being single is actually a crime in the Da Ning Dynasty! Any unmarried woman aged sixteen or older, or man aged nineteen or older, must pay a fine of two taels of silver each year. Unmarried women aged twenty or older, and men aged twenty-two or older, will 37.3kReads8.8Score4.4k14d adds

    Reader note

    Super incredibly beautiful

12. 12 沈 Young Master Shen, You Shine as Both a Man and a Woman 沈世子，您真是做男做女都精彩啊 Still Haven't Eaten My Fill Today今天也没吃饱Ancient Romance804k WordsCompleted [One heroine, multiple male leads, all devoted to her + romantic rivalry + secret identities exposed + absurd humor] [Not a political power struggle] [Gentle, dignified young emperor + sinister, unexpectedly tender regent + aloof, cool-headed Left Chancellor + clever, foxlike imperial merchant] Shen Zhezhi transmigrates into a book. To inherit the Marquis’s estate, she disguises herself as a man and takes the place of her elder brother, who died on the battlefield, becoming the heir to the title 112.2kReads9.4Score23.5k14d adds
13. 13 女 After Disguising Herself as a Man and Attending Court, Her Rival Falls Deeply in Love 女扮男装上朝后，死对头暗恋成疾 Want Some Noodle Soup?吃不吃汤面Ancient Romance544k WordsOngoing [Woman disguised as a man] [Her nemesis is her wife] [A couple who are always at odds] [Both are virgins, one-on-one romance] Early on: a rebellious, brazen woman versus a scheming man who is not what he seems. Later: a domineering, impossibly cool empress versus the greatest treacherous minister, loyal only to the ruler and not necessarily to the country. Shen Qiao thought she and Su Yan were a match made in heaven. During their most bitter years, he schemed to have her imprisoned, nearly costi 127.6kReads9.3Score28.1k14d adds
14. 14 全 The Grand Justice of the Court of Justice, Courted by Every Brothel, Is a Woman 全青楼都在攻略的大理寺卿是女的 An'an Tianya鞍安天涯Ancient Romance489k WordsCompleted [Female-led + no romance + strong heroine + political intrigue + mystery solving] After the emperor decreed that their children were to be betrothed from birth, the Duchess of Zhenguo disguised her daughter as a boy. She kept up the act for over twenty years. As the Duke's “second son,” she could not inherit the title, so she took the imperial examinations and entered the court. Everyone said Lord Gu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was a heaven-sent genius. No one knew that beneat 557Reads8.1Score10414d adds

    Reader note

    A female protagonist who focuses on her career, has no romantic partner, wins the triple crown in the imperial examinations, and is highly skilled in martial arts—who wouldn't love her!

15. 15 吃 Trying to Inherit My Family's Wealth? I Disguised Myself as a Man and Took the Imperial Exams, Winning All Six Honors 吃绝户？我女扮男装科举六元及第 Jiang Suiwan江岁晚Ancient Romance605k WordsOngoing [Imperial Examinations + No CP + A Woman Disguised as a Man (She Reveals Her Identity Once She Holds Great Power) + Political Intrigue + Ensemble Cast] Reborn into an ancient farming family as its only “son,” she is so despised by her entire clan that they wish she would die soon so they can seize the Lu family's estate. Lu Ming: That's no problem. So what if they try to trip her up and stop her from taking a master? She'll walk the road to success no matter what! After observing mourning for t 1.2kReads8.6Score24414d adds

    Reader note

    They're all great; you'll know once you see the reading time. They're all books you can reread. The second and third books are by the same author, and they're especially good 🥺 It's a pity the third book is still being serialized, but it's already 600,000 words long, so you can read it as you go.

16. 16 大 Building Infrastructure in the Great Qin! Ying Zheng Discovers I’m a Woman 大秦搞基建！我女儿身被嬴政发现 Chu Jian Ci楚见辞Ancient Romance663k WordsCompleted The second part of this book is complete, so you can read with confidence!٩(๑ᵒ̴̶̷͈᷄ᗨᵒ̴̶̷͈᷅)و Transmigrates into a younger body + adored by everyone + no CP + career-focused + System + infrastructure building + cute pets + unifies the Six Kingdoms + changes the fate of dying in the second generation After attending a friend's Hanfu gathering, Zhao Jiuyuan was urged by his father back home in Hanzhong. As he drove through a tunnel, he somehow entered a time tunnel and transmigrated to the Qin Empi 15.3kReads9.4Score2.3k14d adds

    Reader note

    I'm not kidding, look at the viewing time, I've watched them all, and they're all incredibly good!!!

17. 17 七 From Seventh-Rank Official to the Top: The Strongest Female Chief Minister 七品逆袭：最强女首辅 Fine Night良宵Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted (A woman disguised as a man in an ancient political intrigue story) Qin Yuan first met He Lin in the summer of Jingli Year 29. The cicadas shrilled in the trees, and the heat was suffocating. In a dark, filthy prison cell, she sat in a corner, her face smeared with blood. Without a word, he left her a handkerchief to wipe the blood from her forehead. When they met again outside the prison, she was no longer in such a wretched state. Dressed in a vivid red official robe, her bright eyes blazing, 3.7kReads9.1Score47514d adds
18. 18 玉 A Jade Crown Shines Over the Capital: Su Qingyan, Top Scorer of Six Exams (The First Woman to Top the Imperial Exams) 玉冠照京华：六元及第苏清晏（女状元） Curator Yu of Antang Reef安塘礁的余馆主11k WordsCompleted The Jade Crown Shines Over the Capital: Su Qingyan, Top Scorer in All Six Imperial Examinations and Female Top Scholar 45Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    A female protagonist, a civil service examination novel, the female lead has no romantic partner, achieves the highest rank in the imperial examination, and is remembered for generations.

19. 19 科 The Empress of the Imperial Exams 科举为凰 In the Hall殿里Ancient Romance306k WordsOngoing [Woman disguised as a man + the white moonlight + feel-good imperial examination story + no romance] Xie Yan is a lucky soul. She is both the Chancellor’s daughter and his son. The young master Xie is famous throughout the capital. The already powerful Xie family now has a top scholar among its ranks. At court, where the officials’ thoughts are unfathomable, she lets her brilliance shine. With an imperial noble consort for an aunt, the Chancellor for a father, and the wealth of a hereditary marq 197Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    A woman disguised as a man taking the imperial examination

20. 20 权 The Alluring Powerful Minister 权臣妖娆 Minced Meat and Fried Egg肉沫跑蛋Ancient Romance960k WordsCompleted Also known as The Female Top Scorer and The Female Imperial Tutor. He was a celebrated, charmingly elegant top scorer, showered with every favor under the heavens. Only after the Du family was destroyed and he hanged himself in prison did the world learn that “he” was a woman! After her father's death, the family's good name was ruined. Dozens of loyal servants starved to death. The beautiful women of the household were either made into servants or reduced to playthings for officials. Reborn, Du 3.3kReads9.1Score43514d adds
21. 21 科 Imperial Examinations: Reborn, She Took Her Ex-Husband's Steady Job 科举：重生后她抢了前夫的铁饭碗 Rabbit Lord's Chitchat兔君闲谈Ancient Romance1.7M WordsCompleted [Heroine Does Not Disguise Herself as a Man | Civil Service Exams and Government Career | A Name in the History Books | A Strong Heroine Who Grows] In her previous life, Jiang Ruchu was a fallen noblewoman. Her father was faithless, her mother weak. Carrying a keepsake, she married into the prominent local Huo family to repay a debt of gratitude. When her husband entered school, Jiang Ruchu quietly supported him through his studies... She kept a low profile and fulfilled her duties, hoping only 7kReads9.1Score99014d adds

    Reader note

    Look, these are all top-quality products, highly recommended!

22. 22 离 Ridiculous! The Sidekick Junior Sister Became the Male Lead of a Power Fantasy 离谱！炮灰师妹成了爽文男主 Sleepy Meow Meow睡不醒的喵喵酱Fantastical Romance658k WordsCompleted [Light Ensemble Cast] [Lighthearted] [Cautious Cultivation] [Many Twists] [No Transmigration or Rebirth] [Nontraditional Cultivation] Anyone who cultivates knows that the most powerful people in the cultivation world aren't the Demon Lord or the Immortal Lord. They're the junior sister and the senior brother. The junior sister can destroy heaven and earth with a single sword strike, while the senior brother would destroy heaven and earth for love. Even more formidable than the junior sister is t 18.1kReads8.8Score3.1k14d adds

    Reader note

    Go see it, it's super good!

23. 23 真 The Real Heiress Is Disowned and Has Her Engagement Broken, Then Tops the Imperial Exams 真千金被退婚断亲，科举六元及第 Everflowing River Lord长流水君Ancient Romance1.5M WordsCompleted [Real heiress + family regrets favoring the impostor + civil-service-exam journey + top honors in all six exams + System + pocket dimension + spirit spring] Lu Zhao, the real heiress of the Marquis’s household, was switched at birth. She spent thirteen years as a beggar without ever eating her fill, and disfigured herself to avoid being violated by hooligans. Lowborn and ugly, she was hated by everyone. The fake heiress, Lu Wanwan, spent thirteen years in luxury. She was the capital’s most celeb 2.7kReads7.4Score30914d adds

    Reader note

    She's not dressed as a man, but she looks really good.

24. 24 别 Don't Mess with Her: The Princess May Lie Flat, but She'll Still Crush the Scum 别惹她，长公主虽躺平，但狠虐渣 Flying Like Clouds如云飞扬Ancient Romance1.0M WordsOngoing [Transmigration, past and present lives, woman disguised as a man, political intrigue, sweet and satisfying] Yun Qing was a princess born of the emperor's elder sister. On the day she was born, she was switched, poisoned, and hunted down, ending up in the common world as a discarded daughter of the family who had to disguise herself as a man. Her heartless father, her vicious concubine stepmother, and all manner of monsters and demons wanted her dead. When she opened her eyes again, she had s 1.5kReads9.3Score18314d adds

    Reader note

    This is amazing! A woman disguises herself as a man, becomes the top scholar in the imperial examination, and fiercely crushes the villains—the plot is incredibly satisfying!

25. 25 大 Ming Dynasty Imperial Exams: From the Start, I Became the Father of Five Children 大明科举，开局成了五个孩子的爹 Little Zhang Under the Night Lamp夜灯下的小张Historical393k WordsCompleted (Farming + daily life in ancient times + imperial examinations) A reassuring read. Shen Lin'an inexplicably finds himself reborn in ancient times in the body of a widower, with four sons and a daughter to care for, as well as a mother in her fifties. The original owner was a scholar, but he had never even earned the title of licentiate. He was too weak to shoulder a load or lift a hand, knew nothing of farming, and spent every day in drunken stupors, letting the years slip by. Let's see how Shen 2.2kReads7.0Score16114d adds

    Reader note

    This book is great! It's full of heartwarming slice-of-life moments and the imperial examination system.

26. 26 胎 Reborn into an Ancient Farming Family, She Becomes a Renowned Female General 胎穿古代农家，农门女将名满天下 Wan Qing万顷Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Career-focused + strong heroine + heroine stands on her own + female general] [The heroine relies on no one and brings glory to her family through her own abilities.] [The whole family is harmonious and full of positive energy.] [Things to note] The heroine has no romantic pairing, but her family members do. There is an age gap between the heroine and her older sister, and the heroine has to grow up. [Things to note] The section on body searches during the imperial examinations is fictional, no 6.8kReads9.1Score90814d adds

    Reader note

    I recommend these three books, but the second one isn't considered a civil service exam text.

27. 27 女 A Woman in a Man's Body: The Concubine-Born Heir's Rise to Power 女穿男，庶房嫡子的逆袭 Liu Jilian刘忌廉Ancient Romance1.3M WordsOngoing Now available as an audiobook with a full cast. [Alternate history] + [Woman transmigrates as a man] + [Born into this world] + [Imperial exams and business in the early story] + [Court politics later on] + [One female lead, with a relatively small role] + [A touch of ensemble cast] + [No golden finger] Xie Chengxi was born into another world as the sixth son of the Xie family, a minor family in Bianjing's Grain Transport Guild. His father was the clan's rejected son, kept under pressure for yea 33.5kReads8.3Score3.6k14d adds

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    I'm following this book

28. 28 大 Great Qin: A Frail Strategist Is Bound to the Vixen System 大秦：病弱谋士她绑定了毒妇系统 Chu Jian Ci楚见辞Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted Qin Dynasty + Infrastructure Building + Unifying the Six States + No Romance for the Female Lead + Character Growth + Farming + Political Intrigue + Unifying the Six States Zhao Jiuyuan transmigrates into the body of a baby girl and gets the worst possible start. Just as she is about to starve to death, Bai Qi finds her. But she has barely spent a few days living in his home when she witnesses him arguing with the King of Qin. After the king leaves, Fan Ju comes over to argue with him too. What 18.2kReads8.8Score3.9k14d adds

    Reader note

    Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

29. 29 躺 Lie Flat Immortal Venerable 躺平仙尊 Singing at Dusk Among the Pines松间唱晚Eastern Fantasy146k WordsCompleted [Rapid-fire laughs + lighthearted + no romance] Lin Xian transmigrates to a cultivation world gripped by cutthroat competition. His previous incarnation was the ultimate grind king, who worked himself to death from cultivating nonstop. Lin Xian binds himself to a System that rewards him with cultivation whenever he rests, lies flat, or slacks off, but punishes him if he cultivates seriously... 1.2kReads—Score10314d adds

    Reader note

    This book is packed with jokes and is quite lighthearted.

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