Novels Where the Protagonist Is Reborn in the Womb and Pursues the Imperial Examinations 胎穿科举文

1. 1 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

   Reborn as the second grandson of a landlord, he was not favored and had to rely on his own efforts, step by step, to make his way in the world. It's very realistic!

2. 2 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

   I recently read a novel about passing the imperial examinations! It's very realistic, depicting the difficulties faced by poor families in this endeavor! The author has a profound literary foundation!

3. 3 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

   These books are all great! [Thumbs up][Thumbs up][Sending hearts][Sending hearts]

4. 4 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

   These books are all great! 👍👍💕💕

5. 5 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
6. 6 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
7. 7 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
8. 8 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
9. 9 三 Awakening the Learning System at Three: Study, Take the Imperial Exams, and Become an Official 三岁觉醒学习系统，读书科举做官 Zhong Wangwangwangwang中旺旺旺旺Historical676k WordsCompleted [Imperial exams + study System + farm boy + one heroine] (The ratings have only just come in, and the book is still growing. Don’t let them fool you! It’s good, really good, really, really good.) Wang Yuan had just passed the entrance exam for a master’s program at a top university, but before he could bask in the admiration of his whole village, an accident sent him into the womb of a peasant family in ancient times. Fortunately, an earlier transmigrator had established a new dynasty and encour 4.5kReads7.5Score338Shelves

   Reader note

   It's pretty good. It feels like watching a person's entire life unfold. It's very vivid and lifelike. The timeline doesn't jump around too quickly; it progresses gradually, and the writing isn't too long. What I like most is that unlike other stories, it doesn't always have a line about what will happen next followed by various reflections, which is really distracting. Instead, it focuses on the present moment, allowing the reader to follow the story smoothly and comfortably!

10. 10 农 A Farmer's Son, the Imperial Exams, and Officialdom 农家子，科举，做官 Jiang He姜禾Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Born into the womb + imperial examinations + farming + daily life + public works and infrastructure, with a couple, little romance] [No pocket dimension, no System, no golden finger] [He starts looking for a teacher in Chapter 38. If you’re short on patience, you can start reading there.] Shen Huai is born into an ancient world and becomes the only boy in his family. The good news: he can take the imperial examinations. The bad news: they’re poor, very poor, desperately poor. Born into a 5.1kReads8.5Score390Shelves

    Reader note

    These are all okay.

11. 11 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

    Fellow fans of Daniel Wu and Li Yifei, this book is alright. It tells the story of three generations of a family taking the imperial examinations during the Ming Dynasty. The stories are quite heartwarming and free of melodrama.

12. 12 古 The Hunter's Son and His Life as a Scholar in Ancient Times 古代猎户子的科举生活 Autumn Lake秋湖Historical1.1M WordsCompleted Imperial examinations + everyday life + realistic fiction After an accident, Lu Yuan, a modern agricultural science student, transmigrates into the body of a newborn baby who had just stopped breathing. Other people either transmigrate as nobles and high officials or get a cheat power through a System. But Lu Yuan ends up the son of a hunter who can barely afford enough to eat. Make the most of what the mountains and rivers have to offer: modern knowledge is his greatest asset. Follow Lu Yuan as 6.9kReads8.0Score608Shelves
13. 13 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
14. 14 签 After Signing In Deep in the Mountains, My Hunter Husband Passed the Exams with Top Honors 签到深山后，猎户相公三元及第了 Gu the Lazybones顾小懒鬼Two Male Leads302k WordsCompleted Lin Xiaoman was in a car accident and transmigrated into the body of a boy who was unloved by both his father and mother. What was a boy? A third gender capable of bearing children, marked by a cinnabar mole between the brows. Their status was a little higher than women’s, but considerably lower than men’s. The original owner was a pushover, treated like a maid by his awful relatives. Lin Xiaoman wouldn’t stand for that. After binding himself to a sign-in System that randomly gave him rewards 203Reads—Score—Shelves
15. 15 穿 I Transmigrated into a Book About the Imperial Exams and Brought Home a Fussy Little Wife 穿书科举，娶了个小作精回家 Zhou Zijin舟子衿Ancient Romance910k WordsCompleted [Imperial examinations + sweet romance + face-slapping + infrastructure development and rising through the ranks: a scheming, smug transmigrated playboy x a spoiled, somewhat crafty but not too calculating troublemaker] Xie Zi'an is a spoiled young master who transmigrates into a book, becoming the husband of the villainess. In the original story, the man he replaces is framed and found alone with the unconscious Xu Nansong. The two are forced to marry, but after the wedding, he discovers that X 23.3kReads8.7Score2.5kShelves
16. 16 状 The Top Scholar Becomes a County Magistrate: An Unusual Road to Success 状元当县令，不一样的青云路 Luo Wuwu落五五Ancient Romance2.1M WordsOngoing [Alternate History + Nation-Building + Farming + Court Politics + No Romance] The main story is complete, and bonus chapters are still being updated~ The rating is low because so few people have rated it. Come give it a look! ₍˄·͈༝·͈˄*₎◞ ̑̑ Warnings: This is a brainless power fantasy!!! Please don't post opinions like how modern people would act, how ancient people would act, or how the protagonist's actions make no sense. If you think a modern person sent back in time couldn't do anything, feel 14.3kReads8.8Score1.8kShelves
17. 17 科 The Imperial Exams! After Ten Years of Study, I Pass and Take Down the Nobility 科举！寒窗十年，上岸就斩勋贵 Zhuoran卓燃Historical1.7M WordsOngoing “The autumn wind howls in August, sweeping three layers of thatch from my roof!” The moment Mei Cheng'an opened his eyes, he found himself facing a catastrophe. Framed and cast out of the marquis's household by his own father, he was now being hunted, with his life hanging by a thread. He chose to fake his death and flee south to seek refuge with family friends. On the way, however, he ran into an imperial inspector investigating a case. From the inspector, he learned that his family friends had 9.3kReads8.1Score475Shelves
18. 18 科 I Became a Child Prodigy Through the Imperial Exams, Cut Ties with My Family, and Made My Biased Relatives Furious 科举成神童后断亲，气死偏心全家 Feast1盛宴1Historical1.3M WordsCompleted [Family Drama + Steady Pacing + No Taking Abuse] After transmigrating into an obscure member of a peasant family in ancient times, he finds that his grandmother plays favorites, his aunt is spiteful, and his own father is a pushover. His mother is in labor, and the whole family just watches her die? Chen Yang has had enough: “We’re splitting up the family!” With the foresight of a modern mind, he sails through the imperial examinations, rising from child prodigy to young official. He earns noble 4.8kReads7.9Score490Shelves
19. 19 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
20. 20 开 Sold into Slavery from the Start, I Rise to Grand Secretary Through the Imperial Exams 开局卖身为奴，我靠科举登顶首辅 Blazing Fire Dragon冲天爆火龙Historical2.1M WordsOngoing After waking up, Wang Wei, a modern university student majoring in Chinese, transmigrated into Wang Gou'er, a young servant who had been sold by his own clan. He thought his life was over before it had even begun, but his new master turned out to be a wealthy provincial graduate. Even more unexpectedly, a twist of fate made him the young master's lifesaver, and he was assigned to work in the study. While the other servants were still struggling to memorize the rules, Wang Gou'er had already set 46.4kReads7.9Score4.1kShelves
21. 21 魏EN The Wei Clan's Cursed Son Becomes Grand Secretary—Now They Beg Me to Return 魏家孽种成首辅，全族跪求我认祖 A Salted Fish in Everyday Life生活中的咸鱼Historical1.6M WordsOngoing (Also known as The Wei Fox) [Political Schemes][One Female Lead][Ensemble Cast][The Wei Faction] Condemned from birth, I was given the name Niesheng. On the day I was born, my mother died in childbirth, and my grandfather mourned before the ancestral hall. The whole household looked at me askance, all calling me a disaster star who had stolen another's fate. My biological father hated me like an enemy, my elder half-brother regarded me as an omen of bad luck, and my stepmother hid a knife behind 647.6kReads9.2Score91kShelves
22. 22 有 You Need Money to Take the Imperial Exams 有钱才能考科举 Pavilion by the Pond池上楼台Historical1.0M WordsOngoing Ancient times, farming, and making a fortune. After being knocked unconscious, Zhou Ningye awakened memories of his past life and unexpectedly gained a pocket dimension. With his parents missing, he had to struggle to make a living by farming while raising his younger brother and sister. When natural disasters and human calamities struck, he fled with his siblings and clan members in search of safety. But why do those two beggars look so much like their parents? After finding their parents, and 66kReads8.1Score5.8kShelves

    Reader note

    Farming and Imperial Examination

23. 23 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
24. 24 爱 The Mosquito Who Loves Gossip 爱听八卦的蚊子 Ling Shui Yibo凌水一波Historical265k WordsCompleted A mosquito with a passion for gossip unexpectedly transmigrates into a child in ancient times. Growing up surrounded by chatter, he develops a keen ear for people and their motives. On the path to the imperial examinations, gossip gives him a head start; as an official at court, rumors help him unravel mysteries. Though he spends his life navigating the storms of court politics, this unique talent lets him find a secure footing amid a treacherous world and write an extraordinary tale. 31Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Even mosquitoes that love gossip need to take the imperial examinations.

25. 25 布 The Commoner Chancellor, Xia Ren 布衣宰相虾仁 Floating Life Returns to the Void浮生归墟Historical920k WordsOngoing After a sudden car accident, Xia Ren, a double PhD in history and literature, transmigrated as a dying seven-year-old peasant child in the Great Jing Dynasty, a realm never recorded in history. His family had nothing, but that couldn't diminish the knowledge and experience he had accumulated over two lifetimes. His memories of poring over ancient texts in his previous life remained crystal clear. The classics, historical records, institutions, and lessons of dynastic rise and decline were all at 336Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Book Synopsis: Xia Ren, a double PhD in History and Literature, is transported to the Great Jing Dynasty—a dynasty never before recorded in history—after a sudden car accident. He is reborn as a seven-year-old boy on the verge of death in a peasant family. Despite his impoverished circumstances, his knowledge and experience accumulated over two lifetimes remain undiminished. His memories of his previous life's deep study of classical texts are vivid; he possesses a profound understanding of history, philosophy, literature, institutions, and the principles of governance, chaos, rise, and fall. From a young boy studying by lamplight to a promising scholar, he overcomes numerous obstacles on the path of the imperial examinations with his vision and talent far beyond his time. He excels in the provincial examinations, achieves fame in the metropolitan examinations, and astounds the emperor in the palace examinations. Entering the court as a commoner, he finds himself navigating a treacherous and turbulent bureaucracy, rife with factional strife. Beset by treacherous officials and threatened by border troubles, he must contend with both open and covert attacks while simultaneously fulfilling his aspirations to govern and benefit the people. Promoting agriculture and sericulture, benefiting industry and commerce, rectifying officialdom, and securing the four borders... Step by step, he rose from a poor scholar to the position of prime minister, writing a legend of "shrimp" (a nickname implying a humble background), leaving a strong mark on the history books of the Great Jing Dynasty for this unexpected soul.

26. 26 胎 Born into a Farmer's Family as Their Late-Born Son, I Change Our Fortunes Through the Imperial Exams 胎穿农家老来子，靠科举改换门庭 Tu Yi凃扆Historical1.1M WordsCompleted [Imperial Examinations + Daily Life + No Golden Finger] Just after passing the civil service exam, Song Xi was sent by a cement truck trying to meet its quota to an ancient dynasty called Great Qi. He was reborn as a farmer's son, and his mother gave birth to him at an advanced age, drawing plenty of ridicule from those around them. His family owned nothing but four bare walls, and they could afford meat only once or twice a year. Fortunately, his family loved him, and he had something to look f 19.7kReads8.3Score1.8kShelves

    Reader note

    Not bad, taking it slow without any cheat codes.

27. 27 科 The Imperial Exams: Daily Life of a Young Farmer in Ancient Times 科举：古代农家小子生活日常 A Few Taels of Silver for oo为了oo碎银几两Historical1.1M WordsCompleted [One Female Lead] + [No System] + [Farming] + [Everyday Life] + [Romance] + [Family Matters] The everyday life of a man from the bottom of society in ancient times. To avoid being bullied, wear silk, live in a big house, have a beautiful wife and concubines, own fine horses, and farm without paying taxes, he strives to pass the imperial examinations. And more… Of all pursuits, studying is the noblest. He had only just graduated, yet he threw himself into the imperial examinations. Though it was 1.1kReads6.2Score109Shelves
28. 28 娃 The Sweet Little Wife I Married Through an Arranged Betrothal 娃娃亲娶的小娇妻 What Beans啥豆子Historical2.0M WordsCompleted [Born into a New Body + Imperial Examinations + Officialdom + Doting] Li Qingrong had passed the imperial examinations, but was forced to marry his childhood betrothed and live off her. The proud Yang Wanru, a noblewoman from a marquis's household, was forced to marry a peasant. Her world came crashing down. 45.6kReads7.4Score4.6kShelves

    Reader note

    The male lead is a reincarnated character, and the female lead is from the original novel. ❤️A weak-toothed gigolo × A haughty rich heiress❤️ Their interactions are super sweet. The male lead is willingly a gigolo [smirk]. The female lead is absolutely gorgeous and a little bit of a drama queen!

29. 29 农 A Farmer's Son Places First in All Six Exams 农家子六元及第了 Li Datou李大头啊Historical341k WordsCompleted Father and son, both top scholars; imperial exams; transmigration; an alternate world; satisfying wish fulfillment; one-on-one romance; sixfold top honors. After a car accident, Shen Ce, Henan’s top college entrance exam scorer, transmigrated into the Great Yan Dynasty. Unwilling to take up farming, he used the imperial exams to steadily climb the road to success… 226Reads—Score102Shelves

    Reader note

    A particularly good transmigration novel

30. 30 科 The Imperial Exams? Just Another Way to Take the Civil Service Exam! 科举？不过是换个地方考公罢了！ Braised Braised Pork红烧红烧肉Historical196k WordsOngoing [Civil Service + Imperial Exams + Humble Origins + Transmigration + Slow-Paced + Historical + No System + Not Brain-Dead] Lin Shuheng spent years grinding away at an entry-level civil service job. He had just passed his evaluation and was about to be promoted to deputy section chief. While imagining how he’d climb the ranks step by step, he died suddenly from overwork and transmigrated into the body of a poor scholar in ancient times. With the imperial exams looming, the original owner had been —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    These weren't reborn babies, but they're very pretty.

31. 31 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
32. 32 女 A Woman in a Man’s Body: Lord Fuguang Goes on a Killing Spree 女穿男：扶光君他杀疯了 Shi Yi蒔宜Ancient Romance814k WordsOngoing [Female-to-Male Transmigration + No Romance + Literary Plagiarism + Jinx + Aristocratic Scion’s Exam Success Story] Also known as: The Azure Luan Chronicles Song Hezhen was a brilliant academic in the 22nd century, a top student who graduated from Cambridge with two doctorates. After completing her studies, she was just about to return home and contribute to her country’s development. But life is unpredictable: the plane she was on crashed, and just like that, Song Hezhen kicked the bucket! When 4.7kReads7.4Score516Shelves

    Reader note

    Reincarnation, a scion of a noble family taking the imperial examinations, an only child, the imperial examinations are already completed.

33. 33 寒 A Humble Scholar’s Rise Through the Imperial Exams [Female to Male] 寒门科举崛起路【女穿男】 Yan Xiyao晏曦瑶Ancient Romance611k WordsOngoing [Imperial examinations + woman transmigrates into a man + farming + food + making a name in history] In her previous life, Mu Suyan had worked her hardest just to become an ordinary university graduate. In this life, from the start, she became a penniless boy from a poor scholar’s family. His ancestors had once enjoyed great glory, but he had been born at the wrong time. The entire Mu family eagerly hoped he would restore their former greatness. He summoned the resolve to study through every har 219Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The male protagonist is a lazy bum who loves cooking, works hard, and perseveres in his studies. Xie Suyan, a poor boy, transmigrates into the world of the Four Books and Five Classics at the age of three. He studies diligently and takes the imperial examinations step by step. Fortunately, he meets a mentor senior brother who helps him achieve his lofty ambitions. Their daily life is warm and harmonious, without any awful characters. His family is not a burden but rather considerate of him. The male protagonist's senior brother, his white moonlight, Li Yanzhi, comes from an official family and is the prodigy of the Li clan. He studied under Grand Secretary Mu and has been acquainted with great scholars since childhood. He is unparalleled in the world, achieving the highest rank in the imperial examinations and gaining the emperor's deep trust. He and Xie Suyan share a childhood friendship.

34. 34 本 I Should Have Topped the Imperial Exams, but Instead I Became a King on the Battlefield 本该金榜提名，我却沙场封王 Ji Feng Who Loves Red Bean Tangyuan爱吃豆沙汤圆的纪峰Historical575k WordsOngoing In his previous life, elite special forces soldier Bai Wei died while carrying out a mission. He was reborn as a baby in the Great Jing Dynasty. The country had only just emerged from years of war, and the Jing Dynasty had signed peace treaties with its neighboring nations. Looking at his poor but loving family, Bai Wei decided to live a peaceful life this time around. He planned to start a business when he was older and improve their living conditions. Five years later, a sudden conscription sh 83Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    👍👍👍👍👍👍

35. 35 老 My Dad Is Su Dongpo, My Wife Is Li Qingzhao, and My Bro Is Emperor Huizong 老爹苏东坡老婆李清照老铁宋徽宗 Wen Qingru文卿如Historical1.4M WordsOngoing Tags: No System, not a mindless power fantasy, meticulous historical research, slow burn, personal growth, one heroine An utterly ordinary art student transmigrates as Su Dun, the prematurely deceased youngest son of the legendary Su Dongpo. A quick calculation tells him When his father goes to Huizhou to eat lychees, he’ll be eleven. When his father goes to Hainan Island to eat clams, he’ll be fourteen. When his father is pardoned and dies in Changzhou, he’ll be seventeen. When Cai Jing erects 11.4kReads8.5Score1.1kShelves

    Reader note

    It makes sense, but it's not unreasonable for a child to invent soap [awkward laugh] because there really wasn't soap in the Song Dynasty (there were more advanced bath beans and less advanced wood ash, soap pods, and soapberries), so inventing it isn't excessive.

36. 36 开 From the Start, I Cut Down My Kin, Top the Imperial Exams, and Slay My Way Through the Court 开局先灭亲，科举中状元杀穿朝堂 Yun Huang云凰Historical578k WordsOngoing [Historical fantasy + imperial examinations + transmigration + rebirth + court politics + power struggles] Zhao Jingyu, a screenwriter with a modest reputation in the entertainment industry, watched a video about ancient male entertainers and had the misfortune of transmigrating into the body of one. He has no intention of becoming a helpless victim for others to bully. Anyone who picks on him gets wiped out! His shameless grandfather covets his body? Wiped out! His corrupt second uncle aids and 343Reads8.2Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Check out this book, an unusual time-travel imperial examination novel, highly recommended.

37. 37 穿 As the Only Son in a Farming Family, I Turned My Life Around Through the Imperial Exams! 穿成农家独苗，我靠科举逆袭！ Bunnies Can Fly兔兔会飞Historical130k WordsOngoing After finally clawing his way up to an executive position at his company, he opens his eyes and finds himself in ancient times, the only son of a farming family. His original self failed the county-level imperial exam and jumped into a river to end his life. When he transmigrates, his family is terrified. They even move the ancestral graves for his sake, only to bring disaster down on themselves. A guilt-ridden grandfather, a grandmother who favors her grandson. Uncles with few descendants, a sc 1Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This isn't a miscarriage, but it's not toxic, and it's still treatable. Give it a try.

38. 38 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 really good.

39. 39 反 The Villainous Minister's Remarkable Elder Brother 反派权臣的极品长兄 Shang Xinghe裳星河Ancient Romance305k WordsOngoing [Transmigrate into a book + raising children + farming] Zhao Deshan transmigrates into a book. In his previous life, he worked himself to the bone raising children and became known as the hapless “brother-supporting” and “sister-supporting” type. One careless mistake later, he transmigrates into a romance novel as the eldest brother of a powerful villainous minister, a hopelessly awful man. A poor family, a father who drinks himself senseless, a wayward mother, an eldest brother who belongs behi 270Reads8.8Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The protagonist of this book transmigrates into the body of the eldest brother of a powerful minister. His daily life consists of raising children, building wealth, and, in the imperial examinations, becoming the villainous minister. This villain is a reincarnated character, but the protagonist isn't reborn yet. 🍋🍋

40. 40 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

    I'm sharing this with everyone.

41. 41 张 Zhang Juzheng's Unusual Life 张居正的别样人生 One Moment of Foolishness, a Lifetime of Regret糊涂一时误终身Historical444k WordsOngoing Imperial examinations, a soul transmigration, and saving the Ming from collapse. Zhang Juzheng, the six-time examination laureate, will no longer keep his head down in this life. I’ll beat Yan Shifan to a pulp. I’ll raise Longqing well, so the Jiajing Emperor can devote himself to cultivating in peace. 21Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    No one but him, citing classical texts

42. 42 大 Great Ming: Cozy Everyday Life Taking the Imperial Exams After Becoming a Father 大明，喜当爹后的科举温馨日常 Three O'Clock on the Seventh of July七月七的三点Historical157k WordsOngoing [Imperial examinations] + [everyday life] + [lighthearted] Shen Huaijin inexplicably transmigrated into the body of a down-and-out examination candidate in the Ming dynasty, also named Shen Huaijin. He had to deal with: A controlling mother! A scheming second wife! An eldest daughter who loved stirring up trouble! An eldest son who was lazy and greedy! An arrogant, conceited second son! And two little daughters still too young to fend for themselves! Shen Huaijin decided: things had to change. T 67Reads—Score147Shelves

    Reader note

    It's actually quite pretty.

43. 43 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 pretty good, very enjoyable.

44. 44 名 A Name in the Unofficial Histories: The Young Prince's Unorthodox Path to Office 名留野史，小世子的另类为官路 Born on April Fools' Day四月一号生辰日Historical292k WordsOngoing An unconventional farming-and-imperial-exams story: transmigration and rebirth, with no pocket dimension, no System, and no golden finger. He's simply absurdly lucky. In his previous life, Jiang Ruyan was bedridden and paralyzed for fifteen years. He never imagined that after closing his eyes and opening them again, he would transmigrate. He spent twelve years wandering the world with his parents, who were always chasing poetry and distant horizons, before they finally sent him off to school. 893Reads—Score110Shelves
45. 45 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 novel about a protagonist who is reborn into a family to take the imperial examinations. There are no cheat codes or systems, no superhuman talent for reading ten lines at a glance, and no repetitive steps like making salt, ice, sugar, glass, or cement. The protagonist relies entirely on his diligence day and night to pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom.

46. 46 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

    Looking for something to read? Come in and get ready to be scolded. This is Tomato's first imperial examination novel. If you don't like it, come and yell at me. The male protagonist transmigrates into a beggar, wakes up by being licked by a dog, and his first meal is tree bark. No system, no cheat codes, he relies on his brains to become the top scholar. "The top scholar is real, and the beggar is real too." A truly hardcore underdog story, I'll pay ten times the price if it's fake. [Shy]

47. 47 皇 Ming Dynasty Natives Versus Transmigrators 皇明土著大战穿越众 Would You Dare Say Yes?叫你敢答应吗Historical3.7M WordsOngoing Current plot: A newcomer to officialdom enters the inner circle as a pawn, but refuses to settle for mediocrity and wants to break free of his constraints. By chance, he gets caught up in turmoil on the frontier, where three hundred battered soldiers rout thirty thousand northern invaders. Zheng Zhi, a household retainer of the Zhen Ding Guard under the Ming rear army's Governor's Office, dreams of himself sixty years in the future. From then on, the Ming Dynasty gains a peerless talent in both 146Reads8.2Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Imperial Examination, Ming Dynasty

48. 48 我 I Really Just Want to Survive: Gou Xiaoqing’s Path to Immortality 我真的只是想活命啊：苟小庆修仙 Breezing on the Rooftop楼顶上吹风Eastern Fantasy264k WordsCompleted This is a “cultivation romance wrapped in comedy.” At first, you’ll laugh at Gou Xiaoqing’s cowardice. In the middle, you’ll ache for everything he loses. By the end, Yun Wuyue’s steadfast devotion will move you. This isn’t a feel-good power fantasy that makes you laugh from beginning to end. It’s a story that leaves you remembering “It’s a little salty, but I like it,” “Just right,” and “You have to be afraid to stay alive.” If you want a purely comedic cultivation novel, the first half will sa 1Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Prenatal education starts with cultivating immortality?!?!

49. 49 魔 Between a Single Thought of Demon and Buddha 魔佛一念间 Breezing on the Rooftop楼顶上吹风Eastern Fantasy289k WordsCompleted Ling Chen suffered endless humiliation within his sect, until a spirit monkey from the back mountain, the Heaven-Splitting War Venerable, saved him. The Buddhist Realm called him a demon and slaughtered his entire village. Ling Chen crossed countless deadly trials before finally understanding his true nature and the Great Dao. He asks not whether something is righteous or evil, but whether it is right or wrong. He seeks no mandate from heaven, only his own path. The road of defying convention is 2Reads—Score—Shelves
50. 50 大 Great Tang: I'm Li Ke, and I Win by Collecting People's Last Words 大唐：我，李恪，靠收遗言躺赢 Kong Qingluan空青鸾Historical1.5M WordsOngoing After 36 straight hours of overtime, Li Ke, a burned-out 996 office worker, dies suddenly. When he opens his eyes, he has become the most ill-fated prince of the Tang dynasty: Li Ke, Prince of Shu! He carries the bloodlines of both the Sui and Tang imperial houses, and history marks him as a high-risk figure who was wrongfully executed. It’s hell mode from the start! Fortunately, his golden finger, the “Kind Words App,” comes online. It senses regret within five zhang, and collecting it earns re 14Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Not bad, not bad, haha

Other lists with Since I've Been Reborn, I'll Master Both the Pen and the Sword