An Ordinary Family Works Its Way Up from a Minor Official’s Post After Moving to the Capital for the Imperial Exams 普通家庭科举到京城后从小官一家家慢慢奋斗

1. 1 我 I Was Already Eight When Grandpa Finally Passed the Provincial Exam 我都八岁了爷爷才中举 The Sixth of Madam Six六夫人的老六Historical1.5M WordsCompleted The transmigrator has a smaller role in the early chapters. The protagonists are Liu Lin and the transmigrator Liu An. I, Liu An, have been transmigrated for eight years, and only now has Grandpa passed the provincial civil service examination! In the thirteenth year of the Wanli era of the Great Ming, forty-two-year-old Liu Lin passes the provincial examination. Years later, Liu Lin gazes at the plaque reading “Four Jinshi from One Family” and falls into deep thought. Follow the protagonist’s g 2.8kReads6.9Score221Shelves

   Reader note

   My newly written novel offers a fresh perspective on the Ming Dynasty's imperial examination system and a family's gradual path to wealth... It includes a time-travel element; in my outline, the time traveler is initially a contributor to the family's wealth, and later becomes a pillar of the family's prosperity...

2. 2 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? 47.9kReads8.6Score5.1kShelves

   Reader note

   A biased grandfather, a studious protagonist, and the family only begin formally studying after the eldest uncle passes the imperial examination and the family separates. The three—father, son, and grandson—hope for each other to succeed. The protagonist hopes his father will become a dragon, and his father hopes his son will become a dragon. It's a heartwarming and slightly funny story about growing up in a small town.

3. 3 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Historical3.3M 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 188.1kReads9.0Score24.1kShelves

   Reader note

   This is really good. Don't be fooled by the low ratings right now; it's truly excellent. Everyone should read it! I have many books on the imperial examination system on my bookshelf, but this is the only one that truly captures my heart.

4. 4 我 I Turned My Superstitious Father into the Chief Councilor 我把神棍老爹卷成首辅 Beyond the Mountain山的那边Historical1.7M WordsCompleted [Ensemble cast + imperial examinations + daily life + farming + court politics later on] Father and son join forces to build a Ming dynasty on which the sun never sets. Yan Xun transmigrates to the Ming dynasty and discovers that his father can do everything except study. His dad has so many secret identities, like an onion with layer after layer to peel back. Huh! If I push Dad hard enough to make him Grand Secretary, can I become a Junior Grand Secretary? The filial son Yan Xun sells everythin 22.8kReads9.5Score2.7kShelves

   Reader note

   🌈①A humorous story [laughs], the main characters are a father and son. The son wants to rise in rank through his father's connections and become a minor Grand Secretary, while the father hopes his son will achieve great things. The father and son are mutually competitive, both striving for success in the imperial examinations, contributing to the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. 🌈②③A traditional rural family story about the imperial examinations, focusing on hard work and dedication. 🌈④The main family's success is built on the hard work of each generation: the first generation farms, the second generation works in the city, and the third generation takes the imperial examinations.

5. 5 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 51.6kReads8.9Score6.4kShelves
6. 6 我 I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examinations 我，孙山，科举 Ximen Qizi西门七仔Ancient Romance4.7M WordsOngoing “Imperial exams + transmigration + farming + exams + no space System” “Romance included, devoted male lead. The female lead is his childhood sweetheart, but she appears infrequently. Romance is not the main plot.” “The male lead rises step by step through hard work and good luck.” “The male lead is no good at scheming, but he gets things done and has technical skills.” “The imperial examination system is based on the Ming and Qing dynasties.” After an accident, he is transmigrated into the womb 47.9kReads8.8Score3.2kShelves
7. 7 古 The Daily Life of an Ancient Couple Making Money and Raising Kids 古代夫妻赚钱养娃日常 Zhuang Sheng Mi庄生迷Ancient Romance735k WordsCompleted A local ancient couple's everyday struggle to save money and raise their child! The village's most beautiful embroiderer × a clever, capable accountant × their smart, well-behaved son! See how this family rises from humble farming roots and climbs the social ladder! The story of Chen Qiuyue and Zhao Huaiyu, a couple born and raised in ancient times, who work hard to save money and pay for their child's education after starting a family. They succeed in raising their child to excel, and their fa 7.4kReads8.6Score554Shelves
8. 8 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 14.7kReads8.7Score1.4kShelves

   Reader note

   Shen Zhou transmigrated. Failing the exam three times didn't matter. Being in debt didn't matter. Shen Zhou realized that the most fatal thing was encountering a difficult boss after successfully getting on the right track. The emperor was suspicious. The emperor was sick. The emperor used him like a brick. Heh. How many steps does it take for a high-ranking official to rise? One step: clinging to the emperor and climbing upwards with all his might.

9. 9 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 3.3kReads7.9Score229Shelves
10. 10 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, 34.2kReads9.1Score3.4kShelves
11. 11 科 Starting My Civil Service Exam Journey After Being Kicked Out of My Home 科举从被赶出家门开始 Naisitu奶思兔Historical622k WordsOngoing An accident turned Gu Yuan into the third son of the Gu family in ancient Qing Shui Village. His father had died young, and his mother showed him no affection. His family was reasonably well-off, but he didn’t get a single cent of it after being kicked out. Just as he had finally found hope for life, a System suddenly appeared and told him he’d die if he didn’t take the imperial examinations. Fine, then: he’d sit the exams and make a living. Let’s see how he builds a future for himself, one step 250Reads7.9Score—Shelves
12. 12 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 214.1kReads9.3Score21.3kShelves

    Reader note

    The best recommendation among imperial examination novels is one that's still ongoing.

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 17.8kReads9.1Score1.8kShelves

    Reader note

    In the imperial examination essays, especially the second one, Lu Yang truly devoted himself to the court until his dying breath, earning the emperor's deep trust, but he died even earlier than the emperor, his life fading away like a lamp running out of oil.

14. 14 改 Changing My Family's Status, I Aim to Top the Imperial Exams 改换门庭，我要科举高中 Bamboo Bay Bay竹湾湾Historical160k WordsCompleted A programmer from the 21st century had a happy family and a fulfilling life, but then he transmigrated into the family of a feudal-era small landowner. Seeing the tenants’ lives, his simple-minded cousin, and his family desperately guarding their farmland, he declared, “I’ll take the imperial examinations! I’m going to climb into the clouds and see what’s up there!” 68Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    These are all stories of ordinary people from the lower classes who, through hard work, climbed to the pinnacle of life via the imperial examinations.

15. 15 百 The Centurion's Qilin Son 百夫长的麒麟子 Bamboo Bay Bay竹湾湾Historical599k WordsCompleted Chen Zhan, a newly graduated PhD in chemistry, was enjoying a vacation before starting work at a university when a glass walkway suddenly shattered. He then found himself occupying the body of Chen Zhan, the frail son of a centurion stationed at a border camp. From then on, a military family that could never find the right words and always lost arguments finally had someone who could speak for them. To stop his father from actually punching a civil official's head clean off, Chen Zhan swore: I'l 1.7kReads7.8Score196Shelves
16. 16 农 A Country Boy’s Ups and Downs in the Imperial Exams 农家小子科举浮沉记 Bamboo Bay Bay竹湾湾Historical394k WordsCompleted By a stroke of bad luck, he transmigrates into the cherished child of a man from the northwest, with a mysterious, aloof first stepmother, a hardworking second stepmother, and a sister who might be sold off at the drop of a hat. He studies late into the night, vowing to climb the ladder to success. (The protagonist is no saint or god. He can be selfish, and he’ll have his share of heartache over love.) (The female lead is neither sweet and cute nor gentle and soft-spoken. She’s a talkative, conf 891Reads8.2Score100Shelves
17. 17 北 A Peking University Master's Imperial Exam: Shocking the Entire Court 北大硕士科举：震惊满朝文武 Ah Zhen Fell for A Qiang啊珍爱上了阿强Historical1.5M WordsOngoing In his previous life, Lin Yanqiu was a star student in Peking University’s history department. Then, overnight, he transmigrated into the Great Jing dynasty as a poor scholar who had failed the imperial examinations three times. His betrothal to the late county magistrate’s daughter had become the laughingstock of the entire village. On the eve of the examinations, the matriarch of the Cui family came personally to his dilapidated hut. Instead of breaking off the engagement, she insisted on hono 180.7kReads8.5Score22.4kShelves

    Reader note

    It's good because it's still being serialized.

18. 18 冒 I Passed Myself Off as a Scholar and Rose to Become a Ming Dynasty Power Broker 冒名入仕，我熬成了大明权臣 Dongfang Xiaoxiaosheng东方笑笑生Historical2.5M WordsOngoing Lin Chuan transmigrates to the final years of the Hongwu reign in the Ming dynasty. By chance, he comes across bandits who have accidentally killed an official on his way to take up his post, so he assumes the dead man’s identity and enters the bureaucracy. At first, he only wants to coast along with a secure government job until retirement. But who could have guessed that the Ming bureaucracy is even more cutthroat than the modern workplace? If you don’t compete, you’ll be crushed. To stay aliv 193.9kReads8.8Score20kShelves
19. 19 穿 A Lowly County Office Clerk with Kids at Home and No Rice to Cook 穿成县衙小吏，家有儿女等米下锅 Don't Discuss the Wind-Banner, Follow Your Heart心动莫论风幡Historical1.3M WordsOngoing [A clerk is no official, and the desk is a mountain of blades] [No errors in the ledger, every stroke of the brush decides joy and sorrow] The male lead had only just transmigrated when someone cracked him over the back of the head. After missing work for three days, he nearly got struck off the rolls. His father thought he was saddled with two useless dependents. His older brother thought he was too inflexible to make money. His fourth younger brother feared his lowly clerk's status would tarni 166.2kReads9.2Score22.8kShelves

    Reader note

    I highly recommend this one. It doesn't cover the imperial examination process; it's a story of daily life for ordinary officials and commoners in a county town during the Northern Song Dynasty. Exquisite details and a stark depiction of social customs make you feel as if you've been transported to the bustling city life of the Song Dynasty a thousand years ago. It's not a wish-fulfillment novel, but it has its emotional moments. It's not about political intrigue, but it portrays human relationships and social dynamics. There are no romantic pairings, no cheat codes, and no modern knowledge to overwhelm you—it's a hyper-realistic ancient Chinese novel. It's almost a million words long, well-developed and juicy, so it's ready to read. The downsides: slow-paced, not a wish-fulfillment novel, no romantic pairings, relatively uneven plot development, and some chapters are too detailed. Impatient readers should avoid it.

20. 20 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 29kReads8.7Score2.8kShelves

    Reader note

    It's a good read, and the writing is excellent. He's already a successful candidate in the imperial examinations.

21. 21 被 After My Eldest Sister Swapped Our Marriages 被长姐换亲之后 Ink Brush Mints Gold墨笔生金Ancient Romance1.1M WordsOngoing [Farming + marriage first, love later + switched betrothals + contrast couple + business + transmigration] [Available as a full-cast audiobook and comic drama] Song He dies in an accident while saving someone and transmigrates to ancient times as an ordinary farm girl. Life is hard, and even having enough to eat and warm clothes is a struggle. As the second daughter in her family, the original owner is ignored by her father and scolded by her mother. Her eldest sister is fiercely competitive, an 53kReads8.7Score6.7kShelves

    Reader note

    [This is a] classical Chinese romance novel, where the male protagonist rises from an ordinary family to the capital through the imperial examinations, and later serves as an official in a remote area.

22. 22 全 My Entire Clan! Supports My Imperial Exams 全族！供我科举 Yang Chan Who Loves Braised Yellow Mutton爱吃焖黄羊肉的杨婵Historical1.2M WordsCompleted Imperial exams + transmigration + imperial exams + no golden finger, no System. The story draws on the privileges enjoyed by scholars in the Ming dynasty! The clan elder was a licentiate, and that was the only reason Baihu Village was protected. Now the elder is gone, and no new licentiate has appeared. The entire clan can only pool its strength to support one child. Just one licentiate can improve life in the village, give the children a future, boost the village economy, and make officials thi 13.8kReads8.5Score1.1kShelves

    Reader note

    It's beautifully written and has a good literary style.

23. 23 大 Ming Dynasty: My Years as Zhu Yuanzhang's Heckler 大明，我给老朱当喷子的那些年 Qing Suisui卿岁岁Historical1.4M WordsCompleted If there’s anything you think could be improved, please point it out gently. I’ll make changes. Thank you. The protagonist’s official career: Investigating Censor, Supervising Censor, County Magistrate, Inspecting Censor and Deputy Censor-in-Chief, Censor-in-Chief, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Grand Secretary of the Hall of Cautious Diligence and Minister of Personnel. Gu Chen opens his eyes and finds himself in the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, as a low-ranking remonstrance official. He ha 50.4kReads9.1Score3.5kShelves

    Reader note

    I enjoyed it and I liked it. It's now complete.

24. 24 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, 23kReads9.3Score2.2kShelves

    Reader note

    This is the story of a farmer's son who, through the imperial examinations, gradually passed the exams, became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), rented a house in the capital, and became an official.

25. 25 不 If I Don’t Take the Imperial Exams, Should I Just Farm? 不科举，难道种地？ You Suo有所Historical1.5M WordsCompleted The new novel Sequence: Creator is currently being serialized. Give it a read! It's a story about surviving the apocalypse. Thank you 🙏. [Alternate History] [Imperial Examinations] [Plagiarist] [Political Scheming] [Farming] [No System] The barbarians on all four frontiers: anyone who dares invade will see their nation destroyed, their people wiped out, and their descendants cut off. I want this golden age to be exactly as I envision it. History is long, but I need only make the slightest effort 5.5kReads8.6Score398Shelves

    Reader note

    Watch if you like it

26. 26 穿 Reborn as a Marquis's Bastard Son? Then I'll Take the Imperial Exams! 穿成侯门庶子？科举！科举！科举 Jin Rizhuhui晋日灼晖Historical1.0M WordsCompleted [Imperial Exams + Feel-Good Story + Business + Child Prodigy + Everyday Life + Political Intrigue] Song Mingyuan dies in a car accident and wakes up as an illegitimate son in the Marquis of Great Zhou's household. The good news: he has plenty to eat and wear, and maids to look after him. The bad news: his adoptive mother is his father's principal wife. Now that she has a son of her own, she sees Song Mingyuan as a thorn in her side and wants him dead! Song Mingyuan, who has transmigrated into t 17.8kReads8.2Score1.8kShelves
27. 27 被 The Fake Heir Was Cast Out of the Marquis's Estate, Then Rose to Power Through the Imperial Exams 被赶出侯府假世子靠科举逆袭权臣 Fuyu Ya浮玉呀Historical1.1M WordsCompleted Chen Yan worked himself to the bone as an office drone. After finally paying off his mortgage and car loan, he had 400,000 yuan in savings and was ready to lie flat in a small county town. Little did he know that disaster can strike at any moment. He transmigrated! The good news: he was still a man in this life, so he wouldn't have to experience period pain. He was born into a wealthy marquis's household, surrounded by fine clothes, delicious food, and his family's boundless affection. The bad n 53.8kReads8.6Score2.2kShelves

    Reader note

    Both are good, especially the second one, which tells the story of a man who transmigrates into the body of a peasant boy, studies for the imperial examinations, and gradually improves his family's living conditions.

28. 28 论 On the Imperial Exams, Who Knows Who'll Be the One Sweating? 论科举，谁卷谁还不知道呢 Corn Breakdance玉米扒舞Historical648k WordsOngoing 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
29. 29 穿 Transmigrated as a Farm Girl, I Married My Enemy from the Start 穿成农女，开局嫁给死对头 Snowy Realm雪境Ancient Romance646k WordsCompleted Yu Jinzhao transmigrated into the body of a pitiful farm girl with no parents, and was forced to marry a sickly scholar in place of her cousin. She’d be widowed at a young age. What a wonderful life! Yu Jinzhao shouted, “I’ll marry him!” But as it turned out, the sickly scholar was also a transmigrator, and was none other than her neighbor, childhood sweetheart, and sworn rival. On their wedding night, Yu Jinzhao and Xie Cangyuan agreed: she would earn money, he would sit the imperial exams, and 870Reads7.6Score100Shelves

    Reader note

    On their wedding night, Yu Jinzhao and Xie Cangyuan made a pact: she would earn money, he would take the imperial examinations, and together they would make a good life for each other, then divorce and marry someone else, never to see each other again. Later, they did indeed make a good life for each other, but why couldn't they get a divorce?

30. 30 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 6.9kReads8.3Score538Shelves

    Reader note

    While others transmigrate to fight monsters and level up, I transmigrate to bury myself in studying for 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!

31. 31 从 From Little Kid to Top Scholar, I Cheat My Way to the Top 从幼童到状元，我一路开挂 Dreaming Back to Childhood Songs梦回童歌Historical2.1M WordsOngoing [Alternate-history fiction + imperial examinations + slice of life + no golden finger] Here, clan ties are more important than life itself, and clan rules take precedence over the law. When Qin Haoran was three, his father was killed in a bloody fight over water rights. According to clan rules, the entire clan was supposed to raise the family that had lost its breadwinner. But fate's cruelty was far from over. Three years later, his young mother, unable to bear a life of loneliness and widowhood 59.6kReads8.6Score4.5kShelves

    Reader note

    📖 An epic tale of imperial examinations shaped by blood ties: Orphaned at three, his widowed mother remarried, and the entire clan scrimped and saved to send him to school. In an era where clan feuds were commonplace, young Qin Haoran, carrying the hopes of his entire clan, wields his pen as a weapon, rewriting the fate of his people on a path interwoven with blood and gratitude.

32. 32 都 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 Ximen Kun西门坤Historical1.6M WordsOngoing 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

    It fits perfectly; a once-prosperous small landlord family gradually rose to prominence.

33. 33 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. 40.7kReads9.2Score3kShelves

    Reader note

    1 "The person who constantly restrains you is also the person who prevents you from falling down, the person who hopes you will fly higher and higher. This line is both the starting point and the destination, guiding you in the direction of home!" Wang Maoping said with some emotion.

34. 34 耕 A Family of Farmers and Scholars 耕读人家 Qiu Mi楸米Ancient Romance2.0M WordsCompleted [Female lead transmigrates + male lead is reborn, no pocket dimension, no System, no supernatural powers] Gao E transmigrates into the body of a heavily pregnant woman with four sons. From the start, she's supposed to sell her children to pay for her husband's imperial exams. The good news is, she arrives in time to save her eldest son. The bad news is, she nearly gets caught by her husband when he returns after turning back from the exam journey. Gao E gives up her need to prove herself and jus 8.1kReads8.9Score1.1kShelves

    Reader note

    ✌First book🍀 Gao E, who accidentally transmigrates into the body of the owner's wife after complaining about an epitaph. Originally ambitious, she chooses a simple life, focusing on raising her children and doing business. Facing her traditional husband, she discovers that he is not what he seems, and the two work together.

35. 35 让 You Were Supposed to Take the Imperial Exam, Not Read the Examiners’ Minds 让你考科举，没让你透视考官心思 Full Moon of the Eighth Month仲商八月望Historical2.3M WordsCompleted [Mind Reading + Antiques Appraisal + Imperial Exams + Power Over the Court] From the start, he is just five years old, with a destitute family and a wicked grandmother who forces his mother, on the verge of giving birth, to die, all to repay his uncle's ten-tael gambling debt? Lin Zhao waves his little hand, and his head smacks into an overpowered golden finger! With a single glance, he sees through people's hidden schemes. He hears every greedy thought, and can even see through all things to id 663Reads7.5Score100Shelves

    Reader note

    Check out this book! The male protagonist transmigrates to the Great Jin Dynasty and becomes a five-year-old peasant boy. He experiences everyday life, earns money, reforms his parents, studies for the imperial examinations, and all the characters feel very real. It's not a mindless wish-fulfillment novel.

36. 36 穿 I Transmigrated into a Book, but the Powerful Male Lead Won't Play by the Rules 穿书，权臣男主不按套路出牌 Free Ash Gray自由的烟灰色Ancient Romance307k WordsCompleted (Mutual devotion + tsundere + sweet romance) Fu Jing transmigrates into the novel The Most Powerful Chief Councillor of Wanxiang as Ruan Jing, the male lead's ill-fated stepsister. Without the protagonist's halo, a golden finger, or a pocket dimension, how can she turn her tragic fate around... 4.5kReads8.9Score304Shelves
37. 37 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 193Reads8.6Score114Shelves

    Reader note

    All 20 of these undergraduate novels are very good and worth reading. I'm following three of the ongoing ones every day; they've already reached several million words, so feel free to keep reading. The others are all completed and are also enjoyable to read.

38. 38 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 9kReads9.0Score1.1kShelves
39. 39 一 A Poor Scholar of Noble Character 一品寒士 Beyond the Mountain山的那边Historical1.6M WordsCompleted [Single heroine, semi-fictionalized Tang Dynasty] In an era when the great aristocratic clans looked down on the imperial family, Zhao Quan was born to a farming family and entered school carrying the hopes of his parents and six older brothers. Farming was out of the question: even the village head’s family had no food to spare… So he had no choice but to take the imperial exams and become an official. 10.2kReads9.3Score888Shelves
40. 40 寒 A Proud Son of a Poor Family 寒门骄子 Swallow's Nest Eagle燕窝鹰Historical1.1M WordsCompleted “Transmigrated to ancient times? Don't panic. I was a chemistry PhD in my previous life. Surely I can invent a few things this era has never seen and make a fortune, right?” Watch as the hero puts his knowledge from his previous life to good use, amasses an astonishing fortune, earns the title of top scholar, marries a beautiful heiress, reaches the pinnacle of life, and changes the entire world... 14.9kReads9.0Score1.4kShelves
41. 41 你 You Take the Imperial Exams, I Farm: A Paper-Thin Couple Braving the Famine 你科举我种田，塑料夫妻闯荒年 Bai Jiuhuan白久欢Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Farming + food + pocket dimension + stockpiling grain + fleeing famine + business + sweet romance + everyday life] After Jiang Qingyue’s soul is mistakenly taken, she receives the ultimate transmigration starter pack. She thought she’d get to live a cheat-powered life, railing against heaven, earth, and everything in between. Instead, she transmigrates into the body of a fat, lazy, greedy, slippery woman and marries a man who hates her to the bone. Song Yan died unjustly in his previous life an 47kReads9.0Score3.4kShelves
42. 42 卷 An Ordinary Life for a Workaholic in Ancient Times 卷王在古代的普通人生 Chi Chi, Keep It Up尺尺加油Historical525k WordsCompleted Chen Rui, an agriculture student in the modern era, transmigrates to the fictional Great Xia Dynasty and becomes the great-grandson of Chen Wang, a former company commander who has retired from military service to farm. With his family’s help, he enters officialdom through the imperial examinations and uses his knowledge to make sure the people under his jurisdiction have enough to eat. A heads-up: this isn’t a conventional power fantasy. It has a laid-back, slice-of-life feel, and the male lead 1.9kReads8.3Score145Shelves
43. 43 寒 A Scholar from a Humble Home 寒窗读书人 Ding Kai, Who Loves Pepper-Salt Rice Dumplings爱吃椒盐豆粽的丁凯Historical1.2M WordsCompleted Bystanders: Xu Sandan’s life is over (watching the drama unfold…) Family: What’s going to become of Sandan? (worrying…) Xu Heng (Xu Sandan): My fate is mine to decide, not Heaven’s (striving…) A story about Xu Heng, who transmigrates into a desperate situation from the start. With a disabled body and a poor family, he fights against a cruel fate step by step through his own efforts, ultimately turning his life around. An uplifting story about farming, cozy everyday life, and hard work. P.S. Ther 4.3kReads8.6Score331Shelves
44. 44 卖 Selling Vegetables and Studying, Then Becoming the Top Scholar 卖菜读书，结果高中状元 Three Layers of Belly Fat三层肚腩Historical1.1M WordsCompleted 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
45. 45 穿 I Was Reborn in a Farming Novel, but I Don't Want to Pass the Imperial Exams on Talent 穿进种田文里，我不想靠才华科举 Autumn Has Always Been Here丛来是秋Historical1.6M WordsCompleted Su Congli transmigrated. To stay alive, he studied day and night and threw himself into the imperial examinations. Who could have guessed? At the provincial exam: “What are you staring at, chief examiner?” At the metropolitan exam: “Why do these examiners all seem so strange?” At the palace exam: “Oh! Isn’t that guy sitting in the throne hall the one who stares at me every night?” Emperor Qiyuan prided himself on being a wise ruler of his age, blessed with extraordinary fortune. Who knew he’d ru 11.3kReads8.9Score949Shelves
46. 46 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... 21.3kReads9.2Score2kShelves
47. 47 迎 After Marrying a Sweet Young Wife, I Worked Hard and Took the Imperial Exam 迎娶小娇妻后，我奋发图强考科举 Flying Cow 98会飞的牛98Historical1.1M WordsCompleted One heroine + no System + lighthearted pacing A thorough understanding of the world is knowledge, and social savvy is good writing. Ren Junjie, a history graduate, suddenly finds himself in an unfamiliar world as the eldest legitimate son of the richest family in Xinchang County. A former wastrel, he turns over a new leaf and marries a lovely young wife. He rests every other day and works on the days in between, studying harder and striving to improve. With his deep knowledge of history, he purs 8.9kReads8.8Score715Shelves
48. 48 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 118.2kReads9.6Score11.4kShelves
49. 49 大 The Great Qi Marquis of One Step 大齐一步侯 A Single Thought of Nothingness一念无Historical846k WordsCompleted [Alternate history, airtight logic, a treat to listen to, multiple heroines, lighthearted daily life, the jianghu and court politics, love and hate, national and family vendettas...] A modern-day criminal investigator transmigrates into the body of a minor official in the State of Qi. At first, his only dream is to stay alive. But when foreign barbarians invade the Central Plains, slaughtering and pillaging until the kingdom falls and families are torn apart, he has no choice but to enter the fr 16.3kReads8.2Score984Shelves

    Reader note

    This is an alternate history novel with no system, multiple female leads, clear logic, well-developed characters, a rich plot, and a mix of national and personal vendettas. It's a blend of laughter and tears. Welcome to read! [Laughs][please follow]

50. 50 科 Imperial Exam Days: My Brother Is the Top Scholar 科举日常：哥哥是状元郎 Ye Zhiqiu Lu Yao叶知秋路遥Ancient Romance829k WordsOngoing The story’s ultimate goal: to become emperor and make it commonplace for women to take the imperial examinations. The title has become a little outdated. [Female protagonist, cozy everyday life, imperial examinations, government service, business, succession struggles, childhood sweethearts, happy ending, female protagonist has a pocket dimension] Content warning: The story moves at a leisurely pace. The protagonist is Sixth Daughter, a true woman of ancient times. Year Three of Yong’an. Sixth D 24Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The female lead's brother is a time traveler from a humble family. He passes the imperial examinations with top honors, becoming the top scholar. The book has two interwoven storylines: the brother's path to officialdom through the examinations, and the female lead's journey from the countryside to the capital, her childhood sweetheart becoming empress—a story of a humble family's rise to power. It's a sweet and non-angsty read, so you can let it build up gradually.

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