Who Deserves to Be Called an Authority in Imperial Examination Stories? 科举文里谁能称“权威”二字

1. 101 吃 Eat! Sleep! Get Promoted! Bail Out Big Brother! 吃饭！睡觉！升官！捞哥哥！ Braised Carp No. 1红烧鲤鱼1号Historical562k WordsCompleted Ling Yuan transmigrates to ancient times and becomes the son of a distinguished family. He and his older brother both pass the imperial examinations and enter government service. But his brother is stubbornly upright. He repeatedly offends ministers at court and keeps remonstrating with the empress, earning her displeasure. With so many enemies in court, his brother is either being demoted or on his way to a demotion. To save his brother, Ling Yuan only does four things: eat, sleep, get promoted 88Reads5.9Score—Shelves
2. 102 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
3. 103 我 I Debate the Classics with Great Scholars in the Embroidered Uniform Guard 我在锦衣卫跟大儒辩经 A Grain of Rice in the Vast Blue Sea沧海茫茫粒米身Historical1.2M WordsOngoing Yang Zhi, a top salesman and philosophy graduate student in his previous life, transmigrates to the end of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty. Through a twist of fate, he joins the Embroidered Uniform Guard, passes the imperial examination, enters the Hanlin Academy, and debates the classics with the great scholars at court! 5kReads8.8Score354Shelves

   Reader note

   The most authoritative Ming Dynasty imperial examination novel on the entire internet! My novel has excellent writing, a realistic historical background, vivid character descriptions, and a plot driven entirely by real historical events. You won't be able to put it down once you start reading!

4. 104 科 The Top Scholar and Grand Secretary Keep Carrying Me in the Imperial Exams 科举：状元首辅又带飞朕了 Silly Chicken Feather鸡毛呆Historical624k WordsOngoing (The rating just came out, so it will rise later) In his previous life, Shen Zhiyan was an engineering PhD at one of China's top five universities. In this life, he transmigrated to a peasant family in the Great Sheng dynasty. A poor household, a grandmother who played favorites, a taciturn father, and a third uncle who failed the imperial exams time and again... In an era when everything was inferior save for studying, Shen Zhiyan edged out his third uncle and set out on the path of the imperia 163.9kReads8.7Score14.2kShelves

   Reader note

   "Bright Moon Resonance" is the best! I think the others are all good.

5. 105 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 33.9kReads8.3Score3.7kShelves

   Reader note

   This bag is nice.

6. 106 本 I Only Wanted to Pass the Civil Service Exams, but They Forced Her to Seize the Throne 本想科举做官，非逼她谋朝篡位 Autumn Farewell and the Lantern's Song秋辞与灯鸣Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted (The comic adaptation is now available) [No CP] [Strong Female Lead] [Female Empowerment] [Imperial Exams, No Disguise as a Man] [Political Scheming] [Reincarnated in the Womb] [A Light Ensemble Cast] Yu Zhao transmigrates. In her previous life, she grew up in an orphanage and worked herself to the bone, finally graduating at twenty with a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate. Just as she joined a research institute and was on the verge of a bright future, a sudden pebble struck her dead. When sh 7.6kReads8.9Score1.4kShelves
7. 107 大 Ming Dynasty Imperial Exams: From the Start, I Became the Father of Five Children 大明科举，开局成了五个孩子的爹 Little Zhang Under the Night Lamp夜灯下的小张Historical393k WordsCompleted (Farming + daily life in ancient times + imperial examinations) A reassuring read. Shen Lin'an inexplicably finds himself reborn in ancient times in the body of a widower, with four sons and a daughter to care for, as well as a mother in her fifties. The original owner was a scholar, but he had never even earned the title of licentiate. He was too weak to shoulder a load or lift a hand, knew nothing of farming, and spent every day in drunken stupors, letting the years slip by. Let's see how Shen 2.1kReads7.0Score160Shelves

   Reader note

   This book is absolutely fantastic, a heartwarming slice-of-life story set during the imperial examination era.

8. 108 前 I Bled My Family Dry in My Past Life, Now Six Yuan Makes Me a God 前世吸光全家血，今生六元来封神 A Really Big Piece of Candy Right Here这里一颗好大的糖Historical680k WordsCompleted [Farming]+ [Imperial examinations]+ [Making a fortune]+ [Power fantasy]+ [Lighthearted comedy] Lin Yunzhou spent half his life working his way up to the rank of interstellar marshal. He never expected to transmigrate to an ancient era with not a trace of technology... The good news: He went from being an orphan to the most doted-on youngest son in the family, and fell in love at first sight with a young lady. The bad news: His parents play favorites, his brothers are blindly filial, and his olde 5.8kReads8.0Score430Shelves

   Reader note

   That must include both books.

9. 109 手 With AI in Hand, I Take the Imperial Exams. Who Can Outdo Me? 手握AI考科举，谁润得过我？ Clear Breeze Fish Balls清风鱼丸Historical1.2M WordsCompleted [Imperial examinations + court politics + farming + alternate history + daily life...] Wu Di, courtesy name Yanzu, was a transmigrator and the top scholar of the literary path in the second year of Jinghe, the best in the land! At sixteen, he became the top scholar, achieving the highest honors in all six examinations. Riding high on his success, he galloped through Chang'an, taking in all its flowers in a single day. His brilliant essays seemed heaven-sent, his deft brushwork blossomed across t 10.8kReads8.1Score850Shelves
10. 110 苏 The Su Family's Castoff Tops the Imperial Exams, and the Whole Clan Begs for His Protection 苏家弃子中状元，全祖哭求我庇佑 Sending You a Smile送你一个微笑Historical1.1M WordsOngoing [Historical fiction + humble beginnings + imperial examinations + power plays + satisfying revenge + intellectual duels + high-IQ protagonist + cunning + ruthless] On a snowy night, I, Su Yan, was cast out of the family and expelled from the grand estate, abandoned like a pawn. I was an illegitimate son who should never have been born, a thorn in my legitimate mother’s side and dirt beneath my elder brother’s feet. They thought I would freeze and starve to death that winter. Little did they know 79Reads6.7Score111Shelves

    Reader note

    This is the only book I recommend, it's unbeatable.

11. 111 寒 A Poor Scholar Uses a Poisonous Strategist System to Speedrun the Imperial Exams 寒门学子靠毒士系统速通科举之路 Jiang Li Doesn't Sing江离不歌Historical456k WordsCompleted Song He transmigrates to the Great Yong Dynasty, where he becomes a poor young man from a cloth-dyeing family. He was hoping to lie flat and farm, but unexpectedly awakens the [Negative Emotions System]. As long as he makes people jealous, angry, contemptuous, resentful... he can exchange those feelings for skills and level up through draws! So he goes all out provoking people at the clan school: Classmates mock him? +3 emotion points! The teacher looks down on him? +5 emotion points! The clan h 90Reads6.1Score—Shelves
12. 112 我 I Find the Top Scholar So Charming 我见探花多娇媚 Yi Ran怡然Ancient Romance1.8M WordsCompleted Jing Bao has three wishes: First, protect the family estate of the main branch; second, enter the Imperial College, place third in the palace examinations, and bring honor to the family; third, keep living as a man in disguise until the end. Lord Gu has three wishes too: First, help someone protect their family estate; second, help that someone place third in the palace examinations; third, bring the disguised top scorer home and make her the mistress of the household. 4.1kReads9.4Score756Shelves

    Reader note

    It's good, I recommend it.

13. 113 侯 The Marquis's Estate Honors Class 侯府重点班 Passion Fruit百香果果Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted The print edition of The Marquis’s Elite Class is now available [adorable children + parenting + doting in-laws + lighthearted + healing] Xu Wan becomes a widow the moment she marries into the family. All she wants is to keep her head down and enjoy the freedom of being a marquis’s wife. But on the very day she arrives, her stepson, a notorious little menace throughout the capital, gives her two nasty surprises in a row. Xu Wan grabs a knife and charges out, making a name for herself across the 60.3kReads9.6Score8.5kShelves

    Reader note

    The first book is really good and is currently being serialized. The second book is also good; I recommend them both.

14. 114 贱 The Lowborn Grand Secretary 贱籍阁老 Salty Fish Who Loves Watermelons爱吃瓜的咸鱼Historical1.8M WordsOngoing Transmigrated as the illegitimate son of a salt merchant in Great Zhou, Zhou Mingxuan was born into the lowest social class. A registered salt-household status was the only path to success for someone from a humble family. From the family estate and study halls to the imposing imperial court, he used his writing as his vessel, conquered the civil service examinations, pacified border troubles, and opened up the seas. From the Crown Prince's close friend to a trusted minister charged with safegua 626Reads8.0Score105Shelves

    Reader note

    It's alright, a million words, worth a try!

15. 115 被 The Abandoned Heir Places First in the Imperial Exam, and Ten Thousand Riders Storm the Marquis’s Mansion 被弃世子中状元，万骑踏平侯府门 Jun Moyu君陌玉Historical1.8M WordsCompleted [Imperial Examinations + Reborn in the Womb + Court Politics + Revenge + System] Shen Shufan was reborn in the womb as the heir to a marquis’s estate, only to be knocked unconscious and thrown into a river. No problem: ever heard of the Proficiency System? The impoverished Shen family, a humble family of scholars, found a poor child in a freezing river. Little did they know he was an imperial-examination genius! Other families considered it a blessing from their ancestors if even one person pass 22.6kReads8.7Score2.6kShelves
16. 116 科 Imperial Exams: Nine Generations of Butchers, and Then One Scholar 科举：九代屠户，出了个读书人 I'm Braised Pork Ribs with Potatoes我是土豆焖排骨Historical1.9M WordsOngoing [Imperial Exams + Farming + Ancient History + History + No System + Alternate History + Transmigration] The Lin clan was a family of butchers. For nine generations, every man had slaughtered pigs. They were all so fearsome-looking that they could stop children from crying at night. The Lin family tombs must have had smoke curling up from them, because somehow they produced a delicate little scholar with a head full of knowledge. At first, the villagers all said the murderous aura around Butcher 7.7kReads7.9Score576Shelves
17. 117 科 The Imperial Exams: Top Scholar at Fourteen, and My Whole Family Is Stunned 科举：十四岁案首，全家都懵了 Someone Surnamed Ling, Who Loves Mandarin Fish Slices爱吃贵妃鱼片的凌某Historical202k WordsCompleted [Everyday life + imperial examinations + lighthearted power fantasy + warmth + coming-of-age] Xiao Yunzheng transmigrates into another world and becomes the “bookworm” mocked by the entire village. His father spent his whole life trying to pass the lowest level of the imperial examinations and never succeeded. The villagers all say the Xiao family is doomed to die out and will never rise again. His mother worries herself gray-haired, his eldest sister protects him with a cleaver, and his little 6.6kReads7.5Score620Shelves
18. 118 离 Unbelievable! I Was Just Trying to Rescue My Brother, but They Forced Me to Start a Rebellion 离谱，埋头捞哥哥的我被逼造反了 Drunk Moon, Clear Breeze醉月清风Historical337k WordsCompleted [More children, more blessings, ten-thousandfold returns] + [Scummy older brother sets up younger brother] + [Younger brother sets up older brother] + [Ancient battlefield of Xiongzhou] + [Song-Liao border] + [Xiao Guanyin is my older brother’s concubine] 20Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Who can stand starting with the college entrance exam?

19. 119 科 The Imperial Exams: From Poor Scholar to Shocking the Entire Court 科举：从寒门书生到惊爆满朝文武 Little Zhang Under the Night Lamp夜灯下的小张Historical166k WordsOngoing (Imperial examinations + farming + no System + transmigration) (Has a CP; the male lead is devoted and never flirts around) Though Landowner Lin's family is fabulously wealthy, every member of the clan is short, plump, and sturdy, looking like they were born lucky! But his son, Lin Bei, is strikingly handsome, tall and elegant, and stands out in any crowd. Gazing at his reflection in the water, Lin Bei couldn't help sighing: A man who isn't charming in his youth has wasted it. His wet nurse 786Reads—Score111Shelves

    Reader note

    This book is amazing, it's so good!

20. 120 野 A Wild Monk and a Stinky Cook? No! He's the New Top Scholar 野和尚臭厨子？不！他是新科状元 Peach Youyou桃幽幽Rural Life154k WordsOngoing [Family life] [Imperial examinations] [Farming] [Lighthearted] Jiang Zhuo transmigrates and becomes a young monk kicked out of the monastery by the abbot. With no other choice, he returns home and resumes secular life. But the moment he steps through the door, he’s confronted by an entire family of oddballs. A spineless father, a meek mother, grandparents who play favorites, and a brother who loves to show off... Jiang Zhuo: Fine, fine! This messed-up transmigration life boils down to one t 21Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This is a lighthearted and entertaining imperial examination novel. The male protagonist is stable at heart, climbing the ranks step by step with hard work. His parents are also very kind people, and the characters are well-developed and vivid.

21. 121 状 The Top Scholar Is Real, and So Is the Beggar 状元是真的，乞丐也是真的 Half a Steamed Bun半片馒头Historical171k WordsOngoing Shen Mo, a Peking University history professor, wakes up one day as a nameless beggar. No household registration, no food, no shoes, and only a yellow dog so thin its skin clings to its bones. He spent thirty years studying the imperial examinations in his previous life, yet in this one he cannot even get near an exam hall. From a ruined temple to the Golden Throne Hall, from eating tree bark to earning top honors. The top scholar is real, and so is the beggar. 9Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This is absolutely unbelievable! On his first day as a beggar, he was woken up by a yellow dog licking him. In his past life, he was a professor preparing for the imperial examinations; in this life, he didn't even have a registered residence. Everyone said his life was over. Later, he achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, becoming a high-ranking official. The yellow dog that woke him up was still lying at his feet. This book is called "The Top Scholar is Real, and the Beggar is Real Too." It's the pinnacle of the imperial examination novel genre; you should check it out if you don't believe me.

22. 122 穿 I Transmigrated as the Villainous Tycoon's Son, So I Joined Him in His Evil Ways 穿成反派大佬之子，我同流合污 A Prosperous Opening开市大吉Ancient Romance639k WordsCompleted [Complete] [No romance × woman disguised as a man × strong heroine × transmigrate into a book] [Pure antagonist's perspective × no unnecessary romantic entanglements × ruthless and merciless] [No situation where the male lead is stronger than the strong female lead] When Zheng Luoqi wakes up, she discovers that she has transmigrated into a romance novel as the daughter of its main villain. Step by step, Zheng Luoqi watches her father become a great corrupt official. Then the male and female lead 2.7kReads9.0Score293Shelves

    Reader note

    I like the second book the most.

23. 123 键 Yang Tinghe on the Keyboard 键盘上的杨廷和 Little Bao Is So Nice小宝很奈斯Historical481k WordsCompleted [Yang Tinghe | Male-Centered Lead | Historical Epic | Romance and Marriage | Political Intrigue] Yang Tinghe, grand secretary of the Ming dynasty, recounts his romantic and political adventures in modern language, with a playful take on his own life. [Matchmaking Trip to Yunnan] Help Mu Cong put down the Xundian rebellion and bring the region under direct administration. [Wedding Night] My concubine climbed into my bed... [The Truth About Grain Transport] Men and women alike are beheaded. [The 14Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The pinnacle of first-person narration by a top-tier literary PhD from a 985 university, an authoritative voice.

24. 124 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 1.3kReads7.6Score145Shelves

    Reader note

    The young master defeats the destined pageboy, passes the imperial examination with top honors, enters the imperial court as an official, and saves China.

25. 125 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—Shelves

    Reader note

    This is a classic reincarnation story about taking the imperial examination. There are no cheat codes, no system, no talent for reading ten lines at a glance, and no repetitive steps like making salt or cement. The protagonist relies entirely on his hard work day and night to study and practice martial arts, and gradually enters officialdom through the imperial examination.

26. 126 大 Great Ming: The Empire’s Glory Shines Across the Globe 大明：帝国光辉照耀全球 One Moment of Foolishness, a Lifetime of Regret糊涂一时误终身Historical73k WordsOngoing Historical what-if + no System + dual souls + hilarious wish-fulfillment. Close my eyes, and I see a crooked old locust tree. Open them, and I'm on the imperial bed in the Forbidden City, clad in the dragon robe and seated at the very pinnacle of power. But another voice rings in my ears, filled with grief and despair: it belongs to the original Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian. One imperial body, two souls. One is the doomed ruler of a fallen dynasty, destined to hang himself at Coal Hill as his country —Reads—Score—Shelves

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