Rags-to-Riches Stories About the Imperial Examinations in Ancient Times 寒门，古代科举文

1. 1 穿 Transmigrated to the Countryside: A Young Farmer's Road to the Imperial Exams 穿越之农家独苗苗的科举之路 Zhang Rubai张如白Ancient Romance2.5M WordsCompleted [Born into the Past + Farming + Imperial Exams + Fleeing Famine + Warfare] The slow-paced everyday life of a boy from a rural family in ancient times! Zhang Ping'an gets a new lease on life when he transmigrates to an ancient farming family. Fortunately, they are fairly well-off, so no one has to go hungry. He has six older sisters, and he is the only boy his parents had long hoped for. His parents favor sons over daughters, and all six sisters are fierce. He thought he was in for a story about 28.2kReads8.7Score2.7k14d adds

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   I've already rejected Sun Shan; it's too weak. I'll save it for a few months first. This is the only book I can actually read. No six-yuan poems, no top scholar stories, no plagiarism—it's readable enough to require some thought.

2. 2 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 32.5kReads8.3Score3.5k14d adds
3. 3 寒 A Top Scholar Rises from a Humble Family 寒门出了个状元郎 One Luo Ruanyan一萝阮烟Historical1.5M WordsOngoing A graduate student in finance from a top Chinese university transmigrates overnight. His home is bare, his stomach is empty, and everyone is scheming against everyone else. Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born to rule? 2.9kReads8.4Score18814d adds

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   🔥Chapter 1 Transmigrated as a Simpleton In Xiamatang, a small border village of the Great Xia Kingdom, the summer heat was unbearable. On the edge of Old Li's field at the village entrance, a five-year-old boy with a shiny bald head and a small braid stared blankly at the sky. "Bring water! Go to the shade if you're hot!" His father called out. The little boy replied, "Dad, it's okay." But who could have imagined that this child was actually Li Lingfeng, transmigrated from another world, becoming the infamous simpleton! The original owner's brain was damaged by a high fever, and his family neglected him. What would become of him?

4. 4 寒 The Scholar from a Poor Family 寒门状元 Gentleman of the Green Mountain青山君子Historical2.1M WordsOngoing After transmigrating into the family of a common farmer, Ye Xuanmo arrives just as his paternal cousin passes the imperial examination. To revitalize the clan, his cousin invites a teacher to the family to educate the children. In an age when “all trades are base, and only studying is noble,” Ye Xuanmo wants nothing more than to pass the exams and change his family’s circumstances… 3.5kReads8.9Score31414d adds
5. 5 寒 The Imperial Exam Routine of a Poor Butcher's Son 寒门屠户之子的科举日常 Diki DaddyDiki粑粑Historical3.4M WordsOngoing The Wang butcher family is full of burly men, all tall, broad, and muscular, like a whole den of reincarnated black bears! But their youngest son, Wang Sanniu, is the odd one out: frail, delicate, and liable to fall over in a breeze. Standing beside his family, he looks like a little fox that wandered into a bear’s den. Butchering pigs? The moment pig’s blood splashes over him, he faints! Farming? The hoe is taller than he is! With the family fearing he’ll become a good-for-nothing, his mother m 184.1kReads9.0Score23.4k14d adds

   Reader note

   These two books are quite good; the plots are well-developed, and the storylines are reasonable and realistic.

6. 6 全 My Clan Raised Me to Greatness, So I Gifted Them Purple Robes 全族扶我青云志，我赠族人朱紫袍 Uncle Jianghe江河大爷Historical2.2M WordsOngoing After dying suddenly from overwork, workaholic Chen Yan is reborn as the only son of a newly born provincial graduate in the Great Liang Dynasty. His father is successful, so Chen Yan promptly decides to lie flat and enjoy the good life, with food brought to him and clothes laid out for him. But when he learns at the age of six that he was switched at birth with a farmer's child, his life takes a turn. The day the fake young master returns to the Chen family, he goes out to work in the fields an 220.7kReads9.3Score22.6k14d adds

   Reader note

   High-scoring imperial examination novel, written by a poor family, no system involved, feel free to jump in!

7. 7 过 With a Photographic Memory, Isn’t It Only Natural I Came First in the Imperial Exam? 过目不忘，我中状元正常吧？ Mountaineer登山客Historical1.3M WordsCompleted Lu Chengan forgot to drink Granny Meng’s soup. One day, he transmigrates to a remote mountain village in the Great Zhou dynasty and becomes the second son of the Lu family’s second son. To take the imperial examinations, Lu Chengan has no choice but to urge his father to better himself. Before he knows it, his father becomes an official. Lu Chengan: Does he still need to work hard? 43.9kReads8.6Score4.5k14d adds

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   These and these 💕

8. 8 寒 The Poor Scholar Who Squandered His Family’s Wealth 寒门败家子 Xun Beiyi寻北仪Historical3.5M WordsCompleted Also known as Back to Ancient Times to Build a Factory. Main characters: Wang Yuan and Li Shihan. After transmigrating to ancient times and into a poor family, Wang Yuan had nothing to his name, yet he started squandering money! He poured mud into brown sugar, mixed limewater into lard, dumped government salt into a pond, boiled government liquor in a pot, set a live ox’s tail on fire, and handed money to every beggar he saw... These bizarre ways of wasting money left the imperial clan, powerful 6.6kReads8.4Score83614d adds
9. 9 苏 Su Chen'an's Journey Through the Imperial Exams 苏辰安的科举之路 Dream of Nine Hundred Million Girls九亿少女的梦梦Historical1.1M WordsCompleted Su Chen'an, a master of Chinese painting, had finally wrapped up an exhibition. Just as he walked out of the building, a flowerpot full of sunflowers came flying at him. He died on the spot. When he woke up again, he was almost starved to death inside his mother's womb. Every day, he teetered on the brink of starvation. He felt that if he absorbed even a little more nourishment from the amniotic fluid, his mother might die. But if he absorbed even a little less, the embryo that was him would pro 10.8kReads8.3Score94914d adds
10. 10 苏 Eunuch Su's Road to the Imperial Exams 苏公公的科举之路 Singing Alone for Joy笙歌独欢Historical1.3M WordsCompleted Chief eunuch Su Weisheng had finally endured his way to retirement, only to die unexpectedly. When he opened his eyes again, he had become a five-year-old child a century later, and all his enemies were dead! His relatives were unkind, and his parents were weak. Su Weisheng consoled himself: At least in this life, I won't have to be a eunuch. I can live with that! He takes on the worst of the family, manages the household, and studies for the imperial examinations. Only after achieving fame and 8.3kReads9.0Score1.1k14d adds
11. 11 科 The Imperial Exam Path to Success 科举助吾上青云 Glory Returned荣归Historical1.0M WordsCompleted After transmigrating into a family of farmers who also valued education, Bai Zimu had grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts to support, as well as seven older sisters whose dowries had to be prepared. To escape the fighting on the border, the entire family moved back to their hometown. Along the way, they lost two of his sisters, and he himself nearly died. He wasn't strong enough to carry heavy loads or even lift much. In this underdeveloped world, Bai Zimu thought it over and realized that 3kReads9.0Score23614d adds
12. 12 为 To Avoid Getting Beaten, I Started Studying for the Imperial Exams 为了不挨打，开始考科举 Yu Su鱼素Historical1.4M WordsOngoing One day, Shen Qingyun becomes the youngest son of a farming family and thinks he can spend his whole life as a freeloader. But then disaster strikes, and he faces a dire predicament: His eldest brother went off to take a temporary job, but came back dead, wrapped in a straw mat; Other families in the village have several sons, but the Shen family has only him, their sole heir; His shrewish, favoritism-prone mother, his mistreated nieces, and his stooped, adopted father all depend on him; Bearing 1.4kReads8.6Score13214d adds
13. 13 努 I Strive for the Imperial Exams, But My Slacker Dreams Never Change 努力考科举，咸鱼梦想从未改变 A Little Green Ear一只绿耳Historical1.8M WordsCompleted [Imperial exams + everyday life + lighthearted] Lu Yang, a rich second-generation heir, wakes up one day as the youngest and most cherished son of the Lu family. This youngest son is a scholar, yet selfish and self-centered, turning a blind eye to his family's sacrifices and caring only about his own future. Lu Yang may be a slacker with little conscience, but he knows who's good to him. He keeps his dream of being a slacker tucked away and works hard to pass the imperial exams, hoping to become 17.5kReads9.1Score1.8k14d adds
14. 14 我 I Turn My Life Around Through the Imperial Exams 我靠科举逆袭人生 Corn Breakdance玉米扒舞Historical808k WordsCompleted When Li Jingxing wakes up, he finds himself in an unfamiliar place. Around him are crude huts and shabby furniture, and the air carries a faint smell of straw. Looking down, he sees that he is wearing ragged clothes and a pair of straw sandals. All of it leaves him utterly confused. “How did I end up here?” Li Jingxing wonders. Just then, a burst of noise breaks through his thoughts. 2.8kReads8.8Score21914d adds
15. 15 为 To Avoid Planting Rice, I Work Hard to Pass the Imperial Exams 为了不插秧，努力考科举 Three Layers of Belly Fat三层肚腩Historical1.0M WordsCompleted [The short drama adaptation is now streaming] A modern SSS-rank researcher dies suddenly and transmigrates to the Great Xing Dynasty. His health is so poor that he's not allowed to pick rice in the fields until he's six. Sunstruck and light-headed, Li Jing decides that farming with this body is a risky business, so he immediately resolves to study for the imperial examinations. That's what he's good at; the transplanting can be left to the professionals! The following year, now named Li Yiqing, 22.9kReads9.3Score2.2k14d adds
16. 16 寒 The Road to the Imperial Examinations for a Poor Scholar 寒门科举之路 Moon Glutinous White月糯白Historical821k WordsCompleted After surviving alone in the apocalypse for three years, Yang Han is betrayed by his teammates and scratched by a zombie. Unwilling to turn into one and get his head blown off, he takes his own life. To his surprise, he transmigrates into the body of a farm boy, the only son of a family with a thousand acres of fertile land. He can't handle the backbreaking work in the fields, and since all professions are inferior to studying, he has no choice but to set out on the path to the imperial examinat 194Reads8.6Score6414d adds
17. 17 首 The Chief Minister's Road to the Imperial Examinations 首辅的科举之路 Adoring You at Dawn and Dusk朝暮倾卿Historical1.0M WordsCompleted [No golden finger + No pocket dimension + Heartwarming family + No ridiculous characters] [The male lead works hard and climbs the ranks one step at a time through his own efforts] [The male lead is devoted; the female lead appears fairly late. The story begins with the imperial examinations and later moves into officialdom] [No forced stupidity, no self-righteous saint, and no fake innocent heroine] Xu Xingfeng, a county-level civil servant in a twenty-first-century town, suddenly finds himself 6.5kReads8.9Score60214d adds
18. 18 农 The Imperial Tutor's Road to the Civil Service Exams 农门帝师的科举之路 Ju He雎禾Historical1.0M WordsCompleted Imperial Examination, One-on-One Romance After an accident, a young man from the modern era transmigrated into the Great Qian Dynasty. Looking at his family’s dilapidated brick house, Qi Wenyu wondered how he would make a living from then on... 21.9kReads9.2Score2.1k14d adds
19. 19 寒 The Poor Scholar's Rise 寒门贵子 Beyond the Mountain山的那边Historical2.1M WordsCompleted After transmigrating into the body of a penniless scholar, Jiang Feng thought about how his computer science degree from his previous life was utterly useless here… Then it occurred to him: “Of all pursuits, studying is the noblest. I’ll just have to grit my teeth and take the imperial exams!” He kept going, and when he suddenly looked back, he had risen to the highest offices, expanded the empire’s borders, and built an unprecedented legacy! P.S. The new book, A Poor Scholar of the First Rank, 35.6kReads9.1Score3.5k14d adds

    Reader note

    A poor scholar takes the imperial examination, slaps down all sorts of awful people, and improves his family's fortunes through his own efforts. It's a 1v1 story with no slander and incredibly positive values.

20. 20 科 The Imperial Examination: Starting by Talking My Parents into Splitting Up the Family 科举，从忽悠爹娘分家开始 Clear Blossoms Reflect a Cool Face清花照凉颜Historical1.0M WordsCompleted Li Yunzhi was born in a province known for its fierce competition in the civil service exams. Millions of people sat the exams every year, and under his parents' urging, he kept taking them year after year. At last, he stood out from the crowd and secured a civil service post. But before he could tell his parents, he was in a car accident and transmigrated to a dynasty called Great Wei. Looking at his family of impoverished peasants, their bare cupboards, and several downright awful relatives, L 3.2kReads7.9Score22414d adds
21. 21 举 Your Whole Family Hopes You'll Pass the Scholar Exam, but You Top All Six? 举家盼你中秀才，你六元连中？ A Little Green Ear一只绿耳Historical1.5M WordsCompleted [Imperial examinations in the early chapters + farming + everyday life + lighthearted + court politics later on] In his previous life, Shen Zhou was in poor health and cultivated himself through a quiet, disciplined lifestyle, becoming rather indifferent by nature. Then he transmigrated to an ancient peasant family. The entire Shen family pooled their resources to support the original owner’s studies, hoping only that he would pass the county-level examination and become a licentiate. Sadly, the 14.5kReads8.7Score1.4k14d adds

    Reader note

    🐺🐺 Imperial Examination + Daily Life + Relaxed Life + Imperial Court: Shen Zhou, who has a congenital illness, transmigrates into the body of a peasant boy. Good news: Healthy body, all limbs intact. Bad news: Burdened with debt, failed the examination three times. Shen Zhou: A bad start. The teacher tells Shen Zhou to go home and think things through before returning to school. He does understand. He returns to school, but becomes his classmates' nightmare. Family, who understands? This person's efforts are sporadic. The most infuriating thing is, he actually passed the exam! His classmates shed tears. Shen Zhou helplessly shrugs: He doesn't care about passing the imperial examination; he's not a scoundrel.

22. 22 说 They Called Me Sickly, So I Turned Around and Made a Name for Myself in the Imperial Exams 说我病殃子，我转身科举争光 King Smile笑笑大王Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Farming + Alternate Ancient Setting, Imperial Exams, but Not a Conventional Exam Novel, Romance] My new book, [Reborn with the Appearance of an Eighteen-Year-Old, While My Children Are Already Twelve], is now updating. Please give it your support. Wang Erxiao was in the prime of his life when he transmigrated, born into the body of a farm boy named Wang Erxiao in the Great Liang dynasty. The Wang family now has three generations living under one roof. Counting his biological and cousin sisters, 21.5kReads7.2Score1.9k14d adds

    Reader note

    The latest imperial examination novel is interesting and recommended; you won't regret reading it.

23. 23 布 The Commoner Chancellor, Xia Ren 布衣宰相虾仁 Floating Life Returns to the Void浮生归墟Historical920k WordsOngoing After a sudden car accident, Xia Ren, a double PhD in history and literature, transmigrated as a dying seven-year-old peasant child in the Great Jing Dynasty, a realm never recorded in history. His family had nothing, but that couldn't diminish the knowledge and experience he had accumulated over two lifetimes. His memories of poring over ancient texts in his previous life remained crystal clear. The classics, historical records, institutions, and lessons of dynastic rise and decline were all at 356Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Witness how a poor boy rises to become the prime minister of a fictional dynasty. Synopsis: Xia Ren, a double PhD in history and literature, is transported to the historically unrecorded Great Jing Dynasty after a sudden car accident. He is reborn as a seven-year-old boy on the verge of death in a peasant family. Despite his impoverished circumstances, his knowledge and experience accumulated over two lifetimes remain undiminished. His memories of his previous life's deep study of classical texts are vivid; he possesses a profound understanding of history, philosophy, literature, institutions, and the principles of governance, chaos, rise, and fall. From a child studying by lamplight to a promising scholar, he overcomes numerous obstacles on the path of the imperial examinations with his vision and talent far beyond his time. He triumphs in the provincial examinations, gains fame in the metropolitan examinations, and astounds the emperor in the palace examinations. Entering the court as a commoner, he finds the bureaucracy treacherous and rife with factional strife. Beset by treacherous officials and threatened by border troubles, he must contend with both open and covert attacks while fulfilling his aspirations to govern and benefit the people. He promoted agriculture and sericulture, benefited industry and commerce, rectified officialdom, and brought peace to the four borders... Step by step, he rose from a poor scholar to the position of prime minister, writing a legend of "shrimp" and leaving a strong mark on the history books of the Great Jing Dynasty for this unexpected soul.

24. 24 名 You Abandoned Me When I Failed the Imperial Exam, So Who Are You Now That I’ve Swept the Boards? 名落孙山你不陪，连中六元你是谁 Dragon in the Wind龙行风Historical1.3M WordsCompleted [The short drama is now available, and the print edition is in publication.][Slow-burn, warm, and humorous][Alternate history + business + imperial examinations + one female lead + no System] Su Run transmigrates into the body of a disgraced scholar who has lost both his parents, failed the imperial exams, and earned a notorious reputation as a lovesick doormat. When he opens his eyes, his fiancée is publicly putting him down and emotionally manipulating him, even threatening to break off their 17.9kReads8.8Score1.6k14d adds

    Reader note

    Su Run transmigrates into the body of a disgraced scholar in the Great Yan Dynasty, orphaned, failing the imperial examinations, and with a tarnished reputation. His fiancée, Sun Fenglan, relentlessly manipulates him, publicly humiliating him and threatening to break off the engagement. Su Run decisively dumps this scumbag and decides to repay his family who have silently supported him. He dedicates himself to the imperial examinations while simultaneously amassing wealth through business, not only providing a comfortable life for his family but also enabling his eldest brother to enter officialdom and his second brother to become the richest man in the village. It's a very well-written book; there are no awful family members, everyone works together to bring prosperity to the village, and problems are resolved quickly rather than dragged out to expand into side quests!

25. 25 这 This Top Scholar Plays by His Own Rules 这个状元路子有点野 The Foundation of One's Life立身之本Historical2.3M WordsCompleted [Farming + imperial examinations + alternate history + lighthearted] My Parents Flipped the Table and Quit, So I Want to Take the Imperial Exams Too Just as Wang Xuezhou was about to reach the peak of his life, he transmigrated. The good news: in this life, his parents were loving, and his siblings got along. The bad news: the whole family was pinching pennies to fund his eldest uncle's studies. They had next to nothing and were living on coarse grain and wild greens. But before he could flip t 50.2kReads8.9Score6.1k14d adds

    Reader note

    Not brainless, not a harem anime, looks alright.

26. 26 阿 Sister, I Passed the Imperial Examination! 阿姐，我中举了！ The Mantis Loves to Dance螳螂爱跳舞Historical647k WordsCompleted Scholar Chen studied hard all his life but never passed the provincial examination. Before he died, he told his eldest daughter, “You must make sure your younger brother studies and earns an official title. Otherwise, I won’t be able to rest in peace!” An elder brother is like a father, and an elder sister is like a mother. Bearing her father’s final wish, Chen Zhaodi resolutely laid down her terms: “If you want to marry me, you must send my little brother to school.” While everyone else in the 4.6kReads8.6Score34414d adds

    Reader note

    They all rose from ordinary people to become Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), Zhuangyuan (top scholar), and Tanhua (third scholar), eventually becoming officials in their respective regions.

27. 27 重 Reborn, I Study for the Imperial Exams in Another World 重生后，我在异世界读书科举 Lan Xiaoyi蓝小一Historical2.8M WordsCompleted (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 6.4kReads8.3Score51314d adds

    Reader note

    While others transmigrate to fight monsters and level up, I transmigrate to bury myself in studying and take the imperial examinations—an unconventional transmigration novel. The protagonist has no cheat codes, no superpowers, only a heart that refuses to be ordinary. Watch as he gains a foothold in the complex officialdom and becomes a wise and virtuous minister.

28. 28 寒 The Commoner Who Became Chief Minister 寒门首辅 Nangong Chenchen南宫沉沉Historical1.5M WordsCompleted When Gu Changliu wakes up, he has become a country scholar. He has no grand ambitions: he just wants to pass the provincial examination, become a minor official, put down roots, and spend his life in harmony with the woman he loves. But the officialdom is no easy place to get by. He had hoped to be a lazy nobody, but the political infighting leaves him no choice but to press forward with all his might. If he can't be a carefree salted fish, then he will take flight like a great roc, rising ninet 3kReads8.6Score21514d adds

    Reader note

    🍀🍀Especially the first book, it's absolutely perfect💯. I highly recommend this book. There are no truly awful characters, and while they might have their little schemes, they're not malicious at heart. On the contrary, the family dynamic is loving and hilarious.

29. 29 科 I Passed the Imperial Exam and Gave the Dynasty Three Hundred More Years 科举高中，我给王朝续命三百年 Kill That Young Lord刀了那个郎君Historical258k WordsCompleted [Imperial Exams + Daily Life + Business + Officialdom + Political Intrigue + No Romance + No System] Xue Zhao, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, transmigrated one day into an abandoned infant who had been taken in and raised by a scholar and his wife. Before his adoptive father died, he urged Xue Zhao to take the imperial examinations, enter officialdom, and bring honor to the family. To fulfill his adoptive father’s dying wish, Xue Zhao embarked on the path of scholarship. From the coun 207Reads6.7Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    While others toiled away studying for the imperial examinations, aiming for the empty title of "six consecutive top scholars," he, however, threw down his books as soon as he passed the lowest level (xiucai), packed half a piece of dry rations, and headed to impoverished rural areas! He wasn't going sightseeing to pretend to be a scholar; he genuinely followed the refugees, lived in dilapidated temples, and witnessed firsthand how people ate clay figurines, how corrupt officials forced them to sell their children, and how the seemingly peaceful dynasty was rotten to the core! This one "mortal journey" etched the idea of ​​"making people live better lives" into his very bones, a feeling more grounded than any top scholar's title! He's currently updating the imperial examination chapter, and I'm eagerly awaiting his daily updates!

30. 30 谁 Who Says the Poor Can't Become Chief Ministers? I Rose from Commoner to Chancellor 谁说寒门无宰辅？我以布衣登相位 Carefree Wanderer Among the Clouds逍遥云散人Historical225k WordsOngoing Xiao Lin, a modern Chinese literature master’s graduate. He wakes up to discover he has transmigrated to the Great Qian Dynasty and become a poor scholar with nothing to his name. The Great Qian Dynasty... The twelfth year of Yonghe... Hejian Prefecture... Qingzhou County... Xiaohe Village... Xiao Lin passes all six levels of the civil service examinations in a row, starting with the county exam, becoming the first top scholar in the founding history of the Great Qian Dynasty to achieve the dist 2Reads—Score—14d adds
31. 31 农 An Ambitious Country Boy's Life in Ancient Times 农家小子的古代上进日常 The Hibernating Donkey冬眠中的驴Historical6.2M WordsOngoing 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. 40.3kReads9.2Score3k14d adds
32. 32 什 What? I'm a First-Rank Minister? The Emperor Is a Transmigrator 什么，我是一品大臣？皇帝是穿越 Loves Rabbits, Doesn't Love Fish爱吃兔子和不爱鱼Historical1.2M WordsOngoing What? I’m a First-Rank Minister? No System + no romance Lin Qinghe is baffled. He was just a farmer’s son who was good at tending crops. How did he go from a licentiate to a First-Rank official, one step at a time? Even stranger, the emperor keeps saying things he can’t understand: “stimulating the economy,” “scientific animal husbandry,” and “modernizing agriculture.” The emperor also can’t stop staring at the high-yield potatoes and sturdy oxen Lin Qinghe has bred. One day, the emperor dis 2Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Ancient Chinese novel featuring a male protagonist who takes the imperial examinations; no female lead; the emperor is a time traveler, and the male protagonist is a native.

33. 33 买 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？ Stray Bullet流弹Historical1.6M WordsCompleted [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 1.1kReads7.6Score12914d adds

    Reader note

    The young master defeats the destined pageboy, passes the imperial examination with top honors, and saves our great China.

34. 34 吾 I Sing the Song of Mortals for You 吾为君吟凡人歌 Six Sons of Qingfeng青峰六子Historical552k WordsCompleted [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—14d adds

    Reader note

    You won't know until you see it, and once you do, you'll be hooked.

35. 35 科 The Road to Power Begins in the Red-Light District 科举，从勾栏开始的权臣之路 Remember to Add Plenty of Chili Peppers记得多放辣椒Historical859k WordsOngoing [Traditional imperial examinations + nation-building and court intrigue + technical-progression power fantasy] [An engineering-school punk transmigrates into a dim-witted child at a brothel, then shakes up the court with his blueprints!] Lin Fan, a modern civil engineer, gets smacked in the face with a brick at a construction site. When he opens his eyes, he's become a six-year-old, mentally disabled boy at the Yihong Courtyard in the state of Qi! Frail and beautiful, he's despised by everyone a 4Reads6.7Score114d adds

    Reader note

    The story is incredibly satisfying, well-written, and fast-paced! The male lead is a nerdy engineering student who transmigrates into the body of a mentally challenged child in a brothel. He defies fate and changes his destiny. The plot moves so quickly! It's so enjoyable to read!!!

36. 36 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 novel about a protagonist who is reborn into a family to take the imperial examinations. There are no cheat codes or systems, no superhuman 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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