Ancient-Era Imperial Exam Novels That Aren’t All the Same 古代科举文，别千篇一律

1. 51 皇 Ming Dynasty Natives Versus Transmigrators 皇明土著大战穿越众 Would You Dare Say Yes?叫你敢答应吗Historical3.7M WordsOngoing 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 179Reads8.2Score—14d adds

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   The Six Scholars of Civil and Military Affairs, Ming Dynasty

2. 52 开 From the Start, Everyone Mistook Me for the God of Literature 开局被当成文曲星 Bedtime Story Self-Proclaimed Author睡前故事自我编撰师Ancient Romance381k WordsCompleted [Woman Disguised as a Man + No Romance + System + Imperial Exams and Political Maneuvering + Building a Strong Nation] Xie Yichu is born into an ancient world, retaining her modern memories and accompanied by the “Imperial Exam God System.” Her grandfather, convinced that the God of Literature appeared to him in a dream, raises her as a boy from birth. She is driven by her determination to “have a page of her own in the family genealogy” and her ideal of “peace and prosperity for all.” From then 4Reads—Score114d adds

   Reader note

   This is beautiful.

3. 53 玉 Yuxi Case Records 玉溪笔录 LuLu99Historical229k WordsOngoing Ensemble cast + farming + women taking the imperial exams without disguising themselves as men + everyday family life Most of the poems in this work are original. Everyone's welcome to discuss them! Serious synopsis: Follow Liu Yuxi as she records the chaos and laughter of the Liu family compound, the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, and their journey as they grow up. Most of the plot draws on historical precedents. The nine-year-old prodigy is based on Lin Youyu of the Song dynasty. Main pl —Reads8.7Score—14d adds

   Reader note

   You can read this book; it explains the imperial examination system in great detail.

4. 54 赤 A Pure Heart Climbs the Ranks 赤子登阶 A Youngster Riding the Wind稚子乘风Historical551k WordsOngoing [Alternate World + Reincarnated as a Baby + Imperial Exams + Martial Arts + Everyday Life + No Golden Finger] Yang Yuan never imagined he’d wake up one day as a swaddled baby in ancient times. He never imagined that in this strange world, with no System, no pocket dimension, and no golden finger of any kind, he’d have to rely on himself, one step at a time: rolling over, crawling, standing, then memorizing the Thousand Character Classic. He began his studies at three, learned martial arts at fou 14Reads—Score—14d adds

   Reader note

   This is a story about a protagonist who is reborn into a scholarly family and takes the imperial examinations. There are no cheat codes, no system, no talent for reading ten lines at a glance, and no repetitive steps like making salt, ice, sugar, glass, or cement. The protagonist relies entirely on his diligence day and night to pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom.

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