Transmigrate to Ancient Times: From a Poor Scholar to the Highest Office Through the Imperial Exams 穿越到古代历史科举文，寒门子弟到位极人臣

1. 1 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

   Reader note

   The first two books are finished, the last one is being serialized, both are about peasant boys who rely on their own efforts to pass the imperial examinations. The last one has the most interesting premise: the protagonist originally had a system but left before binding it, only receiving scraps of the system. He still has to work hard himself, illustrating what it means to have once possessed something.

2. 2 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
3. 3 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
4. 4 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

   Reader note

   Wang Xuezhou travels back to ancient times. He starts out from a poor family where his parents have to work hard to get him into school, and then progresses to becoming a student, a scholar, a provincial graduate, and finally being appointed by the emperor as the top scholar in the imperial examination...

5. 5 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

   Reader note

   🍈This is a very good historical fantasy novel about time travel and the imperial examinations. The protagonist is killed by a falling object and transmigrates into the body of Qi Wenyu. His father is a scholar who injured his hand during a dynastic change and can no longer take the exams. He always hoped his son could become an official to protect his family. The protagonist's mother is a hunter who catches game. He also has a younger sister. The protagonist comes to the country to study for the imperial examinations. On his journey, he saves a child, and the child's uncle becomes the protagonist's teacher. The protagonist becomes the top scholar at the age of 16. The imperial examinations don't take up much space, and he naturally becomes the top scholar. He also has three classmates. Then he is sent to the north to fight and make achievements. He grows cotton and brings benefits to the people of the north. He is promoted and returns to the capital to develop firearms and glass ammunition in the Ministry of Works. He becomes a Grand Secretary and a First-Rank Tutor. At the age of 60, he retires and travels with his wife. In the end, the Qi family prospers. The extra chapter takes place in the modern era.

6. 6 书 Master Calligrapher? Poet Immortal? Chief Minister? That's Right, I'm All of Them 书圣？诗仙？首辅？没错，都是我 Sunlight on the River日照前川Historical834k WordsOngoing In his previous life, Cui Xian was a PhD in Chinese Language and Literature at a top-tier university. In this life, he transmigrated to ancient times, into a poor family with no connections: A destitute home, a pregnant mother, young siblings, an uncle who had failed the exams six times and was hopeless at studying, a grandmother so obsessed with imagining her son placing high in the imperial examinations that she had become delusional, and Cui Xian, who was only eight years old. Cui Xian: This 28.3kReads9.4Score2.7kShelves

   Reader note

   Cui Xian, a Chinese language PhD who rose from humble beginnings, displayed extraordinary talent at the age of eight. He even took the imperial examination by impersonation and became the top scholar. He was skilled in both literature and martial arts, capable of governing the country and expanding its territory. The story is incredibly satisfying.

7. 7 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
8. 8 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 6.7kReads8.9Score616Shelves

   Reader note

   It's rare for me to cry so much these days. The portrayal of family relationships is truly beautiful; I genuinely cried 😢😢😢😢😢😢. It's been a long time since I've seen such a wonderfully completed imperial examination novel. It's so great 💕💕💕 Author, you're amazing 👍. But I'd really appreciate an extra chapter; I'd love to see the emperor and the male lead meet in modern times, haha, you know what I mean 😏😏😏

9. 9 大 Great Jing: One Shot Stands Supreme 大靖：一枪独尊 Blue and White蓝中白Historical1.4M WordsCompleted [Alternate History] [History] [Wulin] [Court Politics] [No System] [Multiple Heroines] Li Yun, a modern mercenary and assassin nicknamed the “Dark God of Slaughter,” transmigrates into the body of a foolish young master from a general’s family, just as he is getting married in the unfamiliar Jing Dynasty. He’s been a fool for ten years, enduring endless ridicule and humiliation. Then he awakens, finally able to vent his frustrations, and shocks the world! Unmatched with a spear, unrivaled beneat 3.4kReads8.3Score284Shelves

   Reader note

   These three books are thrilling and thought-provoking, making you feel like you've traveled back in time yourself, starting from nothing and using your talents to change history and yourself. I hope readers will pay more attention to these three books.

10. 10 携 Rising to Power with the Emperor’s Sister-in-Law, I’m Invincible Under Heaven 携皇嫂逆袭，我无敌于天下 Knowing How It Is知其然Historical1.8M WordsCompleted Li Chen transmigrates and immediately falls into a shocking conspiracy. His three elder brothers died fighting for their country. A powerful court official falsified the battle reports, pinning all the blame for the defeat on me and planning to take my head to stabilize the court. Just as I'm about to be sentenced to death, three secret letters from my brothers arrive in the hands of my three sisters-in-law, the emperor's widows. A woman general from a family of military commanders who once foug 2.1kReads8.6Score268Shelves
11. 11 官 The Government Assigned Me a Wife, but Is My Bride a Fallen Empress? 官府发媳妇，我娘子是亡国女帝？ A Lonely Grave Ten Thousand Miles Away万里孤坟Historical2.6M WordsCompleted Qin Anyang accidentally transmigrates to an unfamiliar ancient land torn apart by war, where people mistake him for the village idiot who went missing days ago. The local authorities are handing out wives, and he is dragged along to claim one before he even understands what's happening. But everyone thinks he's a half-dead fool, so no woman is willing to go with him. With no other choice, the officials escorting the brides give him a severely injured, unconscious woman they picked up along the w 3.9kReads8.1Score468Shelves
12. 12 穿 I Transmigrated to Ancient Times, but My Brother Seems Even More Like a Transmigrator Than I Do 穿越古代我哥比我还像穿越者 Pavilion by the Pond池上楼台Historical1.4M WordsCompleted Alternate World / Ancient Era / Farming / Imperial Exams After a plane crash, Chen Jingming transmigrates to ancient times and becomes a farmer's son. His family is split up because they need to pay for his medical treatment, and his older brother goes missing. Later, the eldest brother returns from a long journey and sends him to school. Eldest Brother: “Little brother, our family's honor rests entirely on you!” But later, as he watches the family estate grow, Chen Jingming realizes that the 15.2kReads9.0Score1.9kShelves

    Reader note

    What's the difference between female-oriented and male-oriented content? Aren't they both stories about the imperial examination system?

13. 13 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

    Reader note

    This book has no romantic pairing, it's well-written, easy and enjoyable to read, not depressing, and it's already finished!

14. 14 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
15. 15 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 1.4kReads8.6Score149Shelves
16. 16 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
17. 17 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… 3.5kReads8.9Score331Shelves
18. 18 夫 A Couple Transmigrates: My Easygoing Husband Takes the Exams While I Raise the Kids 夫妻穿越：咸鱼老公科举我养娃 A Little Ball of Rice一团小丸子Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [Completed] [No pocket dimension, no System + lighthearted comedy + everyday family life + slow pace] A modern couple transmigrates to ancient times and finally fulfills their dream of having a son and a daughter. Their daughter, reborn into a new life, wants nothing more than a loving father and mother. Professor Zhang: “Even though I transmigrated, I don't want to take the imperial exams. I just want to laze around.” Manager Li: “Even though I came along too, I can't exactly make my husband wo 4.4kReads9.2Score493Shelves
19. 19 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
20. 20 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
21. 21 全 The Whole Family Transmigrates: My Scholar Dad Revives the Family Through the Imperial Exams 全家穿越：学霸老爸靠科举兴家 Today, I'm a Pretty Flower Again今天也是花花呀Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted What’s it like when your whole family transmigrates to ancient times? Jiaojiao raises her little hand. She knows! Hua Tao and Shen Heqing, an older couple who thrived in the twenty-first century, transmigrate to ancient times together with their only daughter, Hua Jiaojiao. History professor Hua Tao has no choice but to study day and night for the imperial exams. Shen Heqing, a leading beauty-industry entrepreneur, starts from scratch and builds a business to make money. As for Jiaojiao, she’s 2.5kReads8.9Score227Shelves
22. 22 豪 The Tycoon’s Warlord 豪门枭士 Cloudy Mountains and Seas云山风海Historical7.2M WordsOngoing Lin Yun, a science and engineering student, transmigrates to ancient times and becomes a member of a royal collateral branch. He saves three beautiful female criminals, chooses a poor and barren fief, and takes on enormous debts! It’s a terrible start, but Lin Yun says those are all minor problems. Build a blast furnace! Start making steel!!! Today, this transmigrator is going to show you natives how steel is made! 5.6kReads8.5Score1.6kShelves
23. 23 修 Cultivation: Starting with the Imperial Examination 修道：从考科举开始 Howling Sky Spirit Wolf啸天灵狼Eastern Fantasy1.2M WordsCompleted Li Qingquan transmigrates to another world resembling ancient China and becomes a poor farmer’s son. Seeing more than a dozen family members crammed into one small courtyard, he decides something has to change. When he learns that this world has exalted cultivators, he is even more determined to make his move. Follow his journey as he leads his family to earn money and prosper, uses a simple golden finger to help his brothers pass the scholar examinations and take the Daoist exams, and eventuall 2.4kReads8.5Score199Shelves
24. 24 种 Farming: A Woman Transmigrates into the Younger Brother in a Sis-Con Story 种田：女穿男成扶弟魔中那个弟 A Rui Rui阿睿睿Ancient Romance535k WordsCompleted [Female-to-male transmigration + everyday life + a brother-obsessed family + turning over a new leaf + farming through famine years + business + feel-good wish fulfillment] After getting surgery for hemorrhoids, Lin Heng opened her eyes and found she had turned from a woman into a man, becoming a wastrel in ancient times! And the bizarre lineup of her new family was just as explosive: A short-tempered grandmother, a taciturn grandfather, a loudmouthed father and a mother who loved to complain, t 263Reads6.7Score100Shelves
25. 25 苏 Su Family's Tao 苏家阿桃 Long Sleeves, No Dancing Skills长袖不善舞Ancient Romance823k WordsCompleted [Marriage first, love later + no transmigration or rebirth + farming and imperial examinations] At the age of fifteen, Su Tao became engaged to Li Sanlang, whose family owned a cloth shop in town. Barely six months later, Li Sanlang found a more advantageous match and decided to get engaged to the county magistrate’s illegitimate daughter. He made up a baseless excuse and broke off his engagement to Su Tao. Rumors spread, and people said Su Tao would have no choice but to become a butcher’s conc 6.9kReads9.1Score788Shelves
26. 26 重 Reborn as a Young Scholar in a Farming Family 重生之农家小书生 Smiling Dove笑白鸽Historical1.5M WordsCompleted Xiao Han transmigrated to ancient times as a little boy. He had planned to coast through life, eating his fill and waiting to die, but the System, desperate to meet its performance targets, tried every trick to tempt him, from sweet-talking him to feeding him poisonous motivational slogans. Xiao Han gradually veered onto a path no one had planned for. He had only wanted to help his family achieve a comfortable life, but he aimed too high and accidentally reached the pinnacle of success. Xiao San 2kReads8.7Score138Shelves
27. 27 重 Reborn as a Literary Champion in Ancient Times 重生古代当文魁 Southern Black Sesame Paste南方黑芝麻糊Historical1.0M WordsCompleted (Alternate history, romance, no System, multiple female leads, imperial examinations and officialdom, plenty of jade!) After Qin Fei transmigrated to ancient times, he discovered that from the start, he had not only a poor family to support, but also a considerate woman by his side... But he was just a penniless, struggling scholar. If he wanted to spend romantic evenings with her, he had no choice but to climb the ranks through the imperial examinations... But first, he had to make some money f 3.9kReads8.4Score260Shelves
28. 28 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
29. 29 科 The Road to Success Through the Imperial Examinations 科举之青云路 A Little Green Ear一只绿耳Historical1.2M WordsCompleted In his previous life, Lu Sheng was a spoiled rich kid. After being born into a farming family, he regains his memories at the age of three when his cousin pushes him to the ground over two pieces of pork crackling. Among the four paths of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, working for someone else is out of the question. With his poor knowledge of farming, he couldn't even support himself, so it looks like the imperial examinations are his only way to change his fate. From then on, Lu S 1.8kReads7.7Score130Shelves
30. 30 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 9.6kReads9.0Score1kShelves
31. 31 古 A Guide to Surviving as a Lowborn Son in Ancient Times 古代庶子生存指南 Ms. Cabbage包菜女士Ancient Romance412k WordsCompleted [The male lead transmigrates without a golden finger; domestic family life; studying for the imperial examinations; the female lead appears late; fictional historical setting] After transmigrating as the concubine-born son of a civil official in an unknown dynasty, Huaize planned to take life easy and be a contented freeloader in the ancient world. But Huaize had hoped to keep to himself, only to discover that in an age when collective punishment was common, everyone in a prominent family had 7.8kReads8.4Score594Shelves
32. 32 科 The Imperial Exam: Top of the Six Tests, Reshaping the Workplace 科举，六元及第整顿职场 Cangbai Beneath the Moon月下苍柏Historical1.6M WordsCompleted (No System, no golden finger, one female lead) (A slow-burn story) In the 21st century, the only person in Tianhai University’s history to earn master’s degrees in both the arts and sciences suddenly transmigrates into the body of a poor farmer’s son in ancient times. Looking at the bare walls of his home and the family who place all their hopes in him, Wang Ping can only gaze at the heavens in speechless resignation. Since all other pursuits are inferior and only scholarship is esteemed, he wi 944Reads7.5Score107Shelves
33. 33 农 The Lazy Little One from a Farming Family Takes the Imperial Exams 农门懒娃娃考科举 Black Tofu豆腐黑Historical352k WordsOngoing Dogwa had terrible luck in his previous life. He worked hard all his life and had nothing to show for it. It was all for nothing. In this life, he just wants enough to eat and drink, and to lie flat until the end. Who knew the Lai family already had a layabout: Dogwa's own father. There was no room for a second one. So Dogwa can only be pushed into improving himself and working hard. (Original title: The Lazy Farm Boy Takes the Imperial Examinations) 680Reads8.5Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    A good imperial examination essay

34. 34 穿 Transmigrate to a Farming Family, Aim for the Imperial Exams 穿越农家，科举为上 Tang Qinghan唐轻寒Ancient Romance305k WordsCompleted Wang Xi had a heart condition as a child and was abandoned at an orphanage. He worked odd jobs to put himself through college and finally landed a pretty good job. After three years of working diligently, just as he was finally able to give something back to the orphanage where he grew up, he suddenly died while working overtime one night. Reborn into a farming family, Wang Xi is now a little boy named Li Shuanzi. He knows all too well that if he wants a better life, passing the imperial exams i 3.6kReads8.9Score224Shelves
35. 35 寒 A Poor Scholar’s Rise Begins with Meeting the Miserable Crown Prince 寒门崛起，从遇上苦逼太子开始 Zuo Lan佐蓝Historical2.0M WordsCompleted [Transmigration + Imperial Exams for the Poor + No System + Lighthearted + Wits and Strategy] After transmigrating to ancient times, Tang Yin was completely dumbfounded. He'd gone to sleep and woken up as a seven-year-old kid? He lived in Peach Blossom Village, Qingzhou Prefecture, in the Great Ming, and came from a poor family? It was a disastrous start. He had to fight heaven and earth, and even deal with his awful relatives. Determined to escape the mountains, Tang Yin secretly studied at the 6.2kReads7.9Score543Shelves
36. 36 他 He Actually Transmigrated Along With Me 他竟然跟着我穿越了 Early Spring in March晓春三月Ancient Romance689k WordsCompleted The two of them weathered over thirty years of life together. One liked staying home and enjoying a quiet life, while the other loved lingering in restaurants and teahouses. Finally, one day, it all boiled over. One died of a cerebral hemorrhage, and the other was so frightened that he took medicine. They had both sworn before they died that they never wanted to see each other again, yet in another world they became husband and wife once more, and even had two sons. Since they were already there 5.2kReads9.2Score556Shelves

    Reader note

    Both of these books contain essays for the ancient imperial examinations. You can take a look at them; I won't go into detail.

37. 37 家 A Family with Kids in Ancient Times 家有儿女在古代 Early Spring in March晓春三月Ancient Romance860k WordsCompleted After years of marriage without children, a couple runs into trouble aboard a plane headed to a major hospital in another city for IVF. When they wake up, they find themselves with a family of four, a son and a daughter. The two are both shocked and overjoyed. But having transmigrated from modern civilization to an ancient world without electricity or internet, how are they supposed to get by? They still have to sit the imperial exams, since they have no desire to be drafted for labor or militar 10.2kReads9.2Score1.1kShelves
38. 38 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

    Reader note

    The ancient path to the imperial examinations, highly recommended.

39. 39 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. 3kReads8.8Score230Shelves
40. 40 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
41. 41 穿 Transmigrate, Turn the Imperial Exams Around, and Raise a Wife 穿越，科举逆袭养媳妇 Passerby A Z路人甲ZHistorical340k WordsCompleted [One heroine + imperial examinations + transmigration + alternate history + devoted husband] Zhang Yue feels a sudden wave of dizziness. When he wakes up, he has become the illegitimate son of the Zhang family's second branch. Just thinking about being an illegitimate son gives him a headache, but then he sees his gentle, tender concubine mother and the First Madam, who has always looked after him, and feels like things might just work out after all... Life is hard. Yue sighs!!! 329Reads7.4Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    In ancient Chinese novels about imperial examinations, the protagonist is a poor man from a dilapidated family. Unable to endure the hardships of farming, he decides that the only way to change his fate is through the imperial examinations. The story follows how the protagonist gradually rises to the top of the list of successful candidates and eventually becomes a high-ranking official.

42. 42 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 3kReads9.0Score229Shelves
43. 43 跛 The Lame Farmer's Rise to Power 跛脚农家子的权臣之路 Wan Shu绾淑Historical274k WordsOngoing Reborn as a lame peasant boy in ancient times, in an era when no one believed in him, Gu Cichuan overcomes one obstacle after another to claim the position of The Outcast. He seeks no great power, only to stay true to himself and do right by the world. 2Reads—Score—Shelves
44. 44 寒 The Chancellor from a Humble Family 寒门宰辅 Wu Native Li Da吴人李大Historical756k WordsCompleted [Poor family, imperial examinations, farming, chief minister] Li Sheng, a modern man with a natural gift for calligraphy and painting, transmigrates to the Great Chu Dynasty, where literature flourishes. Before he knows it, he has become a master of the literary world. The Poet Immortal: I once shared a hundred poems over wine with Li Sheng. I lost, and I admit it wholeheartedly! The Sage of Painting: Compared with Li Sheng, I am nowhere near his equal! The princess: Master Li, I am peerlessly b 85Reads6.4Score—Shelves
45. 45 科 The Imperial Exams: A Poor Scholar's Journey 科举，寒门读书郎 Upside Down左右颠倒Historical511k WordsOngoing [Imperial examinations + lighthearted + everyday life + one heroine] Li Chengping transmigrated to Daqian, a strange dynasty. He had planned to live off his family in a scenic spot by the mountains and water, but the backbreaking labor service of ancient times terrified him. If he didn't want to work, he'd have to find another way to live. This is the story of a farmer's son who studies for the imperial examinations. Zhang Erniang: “If you could put in the effort to memorize your books while eat 8Reads6.9Score—Shelves
46. 46 寒 The Ruthless Minister from a Humble Family 寒门枭臣 Sturgeon鲟鱼Historical3.1M WordsCompleted Li Mao transmigrates into the Northern Song dynasty as a down-and-out scholar from a poor family. In an age when everything is inferior except studying, and the realm is on the brink of ruin, he changes his fate step by step through hard work, rises to the pinnacle of life, and brings peace to the world for generations to come. This story has not only clashes of steel and the thunder of battle horns, but also beauty and romance, alongside the struggles and striving of ordinary people. 1.6kReads8.4Score169Shelves
47. 47 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!

48. 48 寒 A Poor Scholar's Tribulation of Great Tang's Beauties 寒门状元大唐红颜劫 Yin Qianchen银千臣Historical356k WordsCompleted Li Guo’er, the Tang Dynasty’s most beautiful woman, is Princess Anning and the youngest, most beloved daughter of Emperor Zhongzong, Li Xian. The most seductive princess in the Tang Dynasty, she is strikingly similar to the protagonist’s wife. After the male lead transmigrates to the Tang Dynasty, he discovers that Li Guo’er looks exactly like his wife. Determined to save the only person in this world who reminds him of family, he works tirelessly and vows to save Li Guo’er, who was killed at ju 361Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    A super beautiful piece of work.

49. 49 沪 Shanghai Auntie’s AI Male Model 沪上阿姨AI男模 The Later Generation Clan后人一族Urban857k WordsCompleted The protagonist, Wang Chen, struggles to survive in an apocalyptic world during the Great Depression, then unexpectedly transmigrates to an alternate-world Shanghai in the 1990s. And so Wang Chen’s happy life begins! 4.1kReads7.1Score270Shelves
50. 50 极 The Irresistible Playboy 极品桃花男 The Later Generation Clan后人一族Urban611k WordsCompleted [Urban feel-good story] [Slice of life] [Set in the 2020s] [Realistic everyday life] [Multiple female leads] [Dongguan Prince Hotel] [Transmigration to the apocalypse] [Genetically enhanced super soldiers] 419Reads8.5Score105Shelves

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