Imperial Exam Stories About a Farmer's Son From a Poor Family Who Becomes a Powerful Official, No Exaggerations or Harem 科举文，农家子，寒门，权臣，不夸张，不开后宫！
GPT-6 Luna
In this list
Reader notes translated by Google Translate
76
-
51
An Ambitious Country Boy's Life in Ancient Times 农家小子的古代上进日常
After transmigrating into the body of a farmer's son in ancient times, a poor student had no choice but to embark on the long road of the imperial examinations to improve his family's life. He sought neither wealth and status nor a high salary or lofty office in this life. All he wanted was to protect his family and give them a peaceful life.
40.7kReads9.2Score3kShelves
Reader note
-
52
A Proper Exam Candidate, and You Want Me to Have More Children, More Blessings? 正经科举人，你让我多子多福？
Imperial exams + System + Brother Cao + Comedy + Court politics + Struggle for supremacy Gu Zhengchuan had it rough. He was a delivery driver who got hit while rushing to finish his orders, and transmigrated to ancient times. He soon discovered that this was a society that valued civil officials far more than military ones, and the imperial exams were the only way for an ordinary person to rise in the world. But how was a vocational-school graduate like him supposed to pass the imperial exams? T
60Reads—Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
53
Reborn, I Study for the Imperial Exams in Another World 重生后，我在异世界读书科举
(Transmigration) + (farming) + (daily life) + (imperial examinations) (no System) + (court politics) Chen Chuyi was reborn into a poor family in Beishui Village, carrying the memories of his past life. At first, he only wanted to earn a little money to improve his family's life. But in this unfamiliar ancient world, he was always afraid someone would take his family's money and eat their food. In the end, he embarked on the path of study and the imperial examinations. He knew that only by changi
6.9kReads8.3Score538Shelves
Reader note
-
54
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
(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
2.1kReads7.0Score160Shelves
Reader note
-
55
I Should Have Topped the Imperial Exams, but Instead I Became a King on the Battlefield 本该金榜提名，我却沙场封王
In his previous life, elite special forces soldier Bai Wei died while carrying out a mission. He was reborn as a baby in the Great Jing Dynasty. The country had only just emerged from years of war, and the Jing Dynasty had signed peace treaties with its neighboring nations. Looking at his poor but loving family, Bai Wei decided to live a peaceful life this time around. He planned to start a business when he was older and improve their living conditions. Five years later, a sudden conscription sh
83Reads—Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
56
I Bought a Bookboy to Take the Imperial Exam for Me. Now I'm Accused of Stealing His Honors? 买书童替本少科举，告我偷功名？
[Transmigrated into a Book as a Cannon-Fodder + Embroidered Uniform Guard + Imperial Exams + Officialdom + Rooting Out Treacherous Ministers + Fighting the Tartars + Empress] Also known as: The Young Master Strikes Back Against His Fated Bookish Servant, Passes the Imperial Exams, and Saves China After transmigrating into the book as Lin Zhi, a young master destined to be cannon fodder, he finds himself caught in a ridiculous plot where his servant uses the young master as a stepping-stone in th
1.3kReads7.6Score145Shelves
Reader note
-
57
Selling Vegetables and Studying, Then Becoming the Top Scholar 卖菜读书，结果高中状元
After Shen Qingfeng dies alongside the Zombie Emperor in the apocalypse, he transmigrates to an alternate dynasty called Great Chu and becomes a child in Ning'an Village. The boy, nicknamed Dog Egg, is frail from birth, suffers from heart disease, and has a lowly name. Luckily, his proper name is Shen Yu'an. After studying for a few months with the elders, Shen Yu'an decides to take the imperial examinations, only to discover that his ancestors were exiles, and the descendants of exiles for thre
5.5kReads8.9Score573Shelves
Reader note
- 58 On the Imperial Exams, Who Knows Who'll Be the One Sweating? 论科举，谁卷谁还不知道呢 In his previous life, he was visiting Dujiangyan with his mentor to draw up reinforcement plans when one misstep cost him everything. When Zhang Shi’an opened his eyes again, he was holding a little stick, facing a golden field of rice. The rice looked unusually small, though. Before he could figure out what he was doing, he spotted several sparrows feasting on the rice. His hands reacted even faster than his mind. He raised the stick and swung it at them. The thieving sparrows soon flew up into 489Reads7.7Score—Shelves
- 59 The Imperial Exams: A Farmer’s Son Has His Day in the Sun 科举，农家子也有春天 One day, Fang Ping’an, a left-behind child, transmigrates to ancient times. He has no extraordinary opportunities and no influential benefactors. How can he turn his life around? The medicine shop has no one he knows. Who would buy the herbs you gather? He knows no one in the world of the imperial examinations. Who would teach you to read? He has no connections in officialdom. Who would help you get your foot in the door? This is the story of a farmer’s son who, in the midst of a confused and ai 43Reads—Score—Shelves
- 60 Transmigration: The Daily Life of an Ancient Imperial Exam Candidate, Son of a Peddler 穿越：商贩之子的古代科举日常 [Imperial Examinations + Alternate History + Everyday Life in Ancient Times + Building Wealth + Slow-Burn + Coming of Age] In his previous life, Lin Xiang’an lost his parents at a young age and grew up dependent on others. After getting into college, he took a leave of absence to serve as a conscript. When he returned from the military and resumed his studies, he started a few businesses and gradually made his fortune. He achieved success at a young age, and his business kept growing. Then, one 2.5kReads7.9Score182Shelves
- 61 The Imperial Exam's Oxherd Class: A Young Scholar's Teacher Produces Three Thousand Successful Candidates 科举放牛班，童生夫子教出进士三千 A paradise for exam failures, and a graveyard for renowned scholars. A group of spoiled officials’ sons has become the century-old academy’s newest headache. The old scholar was so furious he suffered a stroke. Chen Fan, a licentiate serving as an assistant instructor, activated the god-tier imperial exam teaching System and was appointed head of the academy in its hour of need. The mischievous magistrate’s son mastered the Five Classics in four months. The unruly prefect’s son became the top sc 1.9kReads8.9Score172Shelves
- 62 The Number One Son-in-Law: From Child Bridegroom to Powerful Minister 第一赘婿：从童养夫到权臣 [Farming and imperial examinations + warm and relaxing + alternate ancient setting] [The male lead seems sweet and simple but is actually cunning and doting toward his wife; a story of growth × the female lead seems frail but is actually domineering and cold-hearted] Villagers: “That little fool from the Fang family carries Pear Girl around everywhere all day. What a bargain that child bride turned out to be!” Song Zhun: “Do you think I want to carry her? If I don’t humor that lazy girl, she say 737Reads8.4Score103Shelves
-
63
The Poor Scholar 寒门文星
Chen Yan, a six-year-old farmer’s son, beats the powerful minister’s son in the county exam and takes first place. Overnight, he goes from a poor country boy to the literary prodigy everyone in town is talking about. But he knows that being first is a poisoned chalice. The Vice Minister of Personnel’s son hates him to the core, the county magistrate is plotting to ruin him, and even his uncle’s family is eager to take a bite out of him. In his previous life, he was a master of classical studies.
49Reads9.2Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
64
The Scholar's Robe Rises from the Dust 青衿起微尘
Shen Wenyuan, a modern graduate student in history, suddenly transmigrates into the Great Zhou Dynasty and becomes the eldest son of a poor farming family. His grandparents favor his second uncle's family and mistreat and exploit his own. His father finally grits his teeth and splits from the family. A few acres of poor farmland and a dilapidated hut are all they have. Though mired in hardship, Shen Wenyuan refuses to accept his fate. Drawing on what he learned in his previous life, he studies t
35Reads—Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
65
The Prince Consort Wears Women's Clothes 驸马本钗裙
Recently rated. GL romance with a touch of ensemble cast. [A new “female” top scholar, well-read and highly skilled in martial arts]* [The princess, seemingly harmless but full of surprises, and the Emperor’s favorite] An alternate ancient setting, no golden finger or fantasy elements. The story starts with the imperial examinations and moves on to political intrigue. No male lead; both leads are women!! She was once a beloved daughter, doted on by her father and brothers. Her elder brother cam
165Reads8.3Score118Shelves
Reader note
-
66
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
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
33.9kReads8.3Score3.7kShelves
Reader note
-
67
The New Dynasty's Turmoil Begins with a Poor Scholar in Yuezhou 新朝风云，从岳州寒门开始
Lin Yue, a graduate student and a battle-hardened special forces king, dies in the line of duty and awakens in a war-torn era reminiscent of the late Yuan. He is now a poor young man on the verge of death in Yuezhou. In his previous life, he excelled in both letters and arms; in this one, he has nothing. He studies ancient characters and goes into business; he recites the classics and strengthens his body. Drawing on both his knowledge and his own abilities, he rises through the county, prefectu
36Reads—Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
68
Yang Tinghe on the Keyboard 键盘上的杨廷和
[Yang Tinghe | Male-Centered Lead | Historical Epic | Romance and Marriage | Political Intrigue] Yang Tinghe, grand secretary of the Ming dynasty, recounts his romantic and political adventures in modern language, with a playful take on his own life. [Matchmaking Trip to Yunnan] Help Mu Cong put down the Xundian rebellion and bring the region under direct administration. [Wedding Night] My concubine climbed into my bed... [The Truth About Grain Transport] Men and women alike are beheaded. [The
14Reads—Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
69
Zhang Juzheng's Unusual Life 张居正的别样人生
Imperial examinations, a soul transmigration, and saving the Ming from collapse. Zhang Juzheng, the six-time examination laureate, will no longer keep his head down in this life. I’ll beat Yan Shifan to a pulp. I’ll raise Longqing well, so the Jiajing Emperor can devote himself to cultivating in peace.
21Reads—Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
70
Forced to Disguise Myself as a Man, I Take the Imperial Exams and Become Chief Councillor 被迫女扮男装，我参加科考做首辅
[Disguised as a man + gradual character growth + everyday life + imperial examinations] The gentle, everyday life of a farmer's son in ancient times. PS: This is a fictional setting! Just as genius doctor Song Xiaoxiao was stepping into the working world, a sneeze sent her transmigrating. When she opened her eyes, she had gone from the present to the past, arriving in a dynasty unrecorded in history. She had just grumbled about being a little kid when her whole family dealt her another heavy blo
608Reads8.4Score101Shelves
Reader note
-
71
The Ming Dynasty’s Literary Champion 大明文魁
In the third year of the Xuande reign, Lin Wenyuan, a top history student, unexpectedly transmigrated into the body of a poor scholar in Kunshan County, South Zhili, Ming China. When he woke, he found himself in a home stripped bare, with a frail body left behind by the original owner's high fever after being caught in the rain. In an era when the imperial examinations were the only path to success, he had neither an illustrious family nor exceptional talent. All he could rely on was knowledge f
143Reads—Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
72
Since I've Been Reborn, I'll Master Both the Pen and the Sword 都重来了，我当然要文武双全
Set in an alternate early Ming Dynasty, this is a story about a science student who transmigrates. Simple middle-school physics experiments are enough to amaze everyone. He sparks a scientific awakening, founds a new school of thought, and brings materialism into Confucianism to accelerate social progress. You just need a little scientific knowledge. You can do it too, and there’s no golden finger!!
1.7kReads6.5Score101Shelves
Reader note
-
73
Ming Dynasty Natives Versus Transmigrators 皇明土著大战穿越众
Current plot: A newcomer to officialdom enters the inner circle as a pawn, but refuses to settle for mediocrity and wants to break free of his constraints. By chance, he gets caught up in turmoil on the frontier, where three hundred battered soldiers rout thirty thousand northern invaders. Zheng Zhi, a household retainer of the Zhen Ding Guard under the Ming rear army's Governor's Office, dreams of himself sixty years in the future. From then on, the Ming Dynasty gains a peerless talent in both
146Reads8.2Score—Shelves
Reader note
- 74 After My Engagement Was Broken, I Turned to the Imperial Exams and Became the Top Scholar 被退婚后，我转头科举当状元 [Transmigration + no System + imperial examinations + feel-good power fantasy] Ma Chengji, a top scorer in the national college entrance exam with a photographic memory, transmigrated into the body of an eight-year-old poor boy in the Great Qian Kingdom. He started off in dire straits: his family had nothing, they lived on bran and wild greens, and the villagers mocked and ridiculed him. Su Jiuyuan, the daughter of a powerful minister, came with her mother to break off their engagement. “People —Reads—Score—Shelves
-
75
A Wild Monk and a Stinky Cook? No! He's the New Top Scholar 野和尚臭厨子？不！他是新科状元
[Family life] [Imperial examinations] [Farming] [Lighthearted] Jiang Zhuo transmigrates and becomes a young monk kicked out of the monastery by the abbot. With no other choice, he returns home and resumes secular life. But the moment he steps through the door, he’s confronted by an entire family of oddballs. A spineless father, a meek mother, grandparents who play favorites, and a brother who loves to show off... Jiang Zhuo: Fine, fine! This messed-up transmigration life boils down to one t
21Reads—Score—Shelves
Reader note
-
76
I Sing the Song of Mortals for You 吾为君吟凡人歌
[Male-Oriented, Transmigration, Fictional Setting, Farming, Everyday Life, Imperial Examinations, No System, No Golden Finger, Rural Life, Rustic Setting, One Heroine, Not a Power Fantasy] Lin Zezu, an ordinary nobody from Blue Star, transmigrates to the fictional Wu Kingdom. He arrives just as the original body's father, a scholar, dies of illness. Since the original body's birth mother was a brothel girl, his stepmother and eldest half-brother in the Lin family never treated him well. After Ma
2Reads6.4Score—Shelves
Reader note
Other lists with An Ambitious Country Boy's Life in Ancient Times