Imperial Exam Stories That Never Get Old 百看不厌的科举文

1. 1 农 A Farmer's Son's Road to the Imperial Exams, His Achievements Shining Across the Land 农家儿郎科举路，勋名耀山河！ August in July七月的八月Historical852k WordsCompleted [Imperial Examinations] [A Farmer’s Son Changes His Fate Through the Exams] Zhou Xu opens his eyes and finds himself in another era! Determined to make his mark in this new age, he looks down at his patched trousers and the endless fields stretching to the horizon. Zhou Xu decides he’d better study. Education can change your fate! His eldest aunt spits and says, “A country bumpkin thinks he can study?” Zhou Xu passes the county-level examination. His second aunt says enviously, “That’s as far as 28.9kReads8.5Score2.6kShelves

   Reader note

   I highly recommend this first book. Although it's still being serialized, it's very engaging and makes you want to keep reading. The protagonist gradually becomes cunning yet gentle and refined. The storyline is rich and engaging, without any deliberate exaggeration, and the pacing is just right.

2. 2 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
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 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
5. 5 寒 The Imperial Exam Routine of a Poor Butcher's Son 寒门屠户之子的科举日常 Diki DaddyDiki粑粑Historical3.3M WordsOngoing The Wang butcher family is full of burly men, all tall, broad, and muscular, like a whole den of reincarnated black bears! But their youngest son, Wang Sanniu, is the odd one out: frail, delicate, and liable to fall over in a breeze. Standing beside his family, he looks like a little fox that wandered into a bear’s den. Butchering pigs? The moment pig’s blood splashes over him, he faints! Farming? The hoe is taller than he is! With the family fearing he’ll become a good-for-nothing, his mother m 188.1kReads9.0Score24.1kShelves
6. 6 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
7. 7 寒 The Top Scholar from a Poor Family: The Whole Village Helps Me Rise to Greatness 寒门状元：全村扶我青云志 Born in a Dream Ruin梦墟生Historical1.0M WordsCompleted The soul of a modern PhD in Chinese Language and Literature is trapped in the frail body of a seven-year-old orphan in the Great Xia Dynasty. What he possesses is a way of thinking powerful enough to overturn an entire era. What he faces is utter poverty, with only his frail older sister to rely on. No heaven-defying System, no fantastical martial arts, only knowledge and wisdom from a thousand years in the future. He will make the imperial examinations his sole battlefield and begin an unpre 1.4kReads7.6Score102Shelves

   Reader note

   (Short Chapter Expansion - with Detailed Tension) The dim light of the oil lamp made the frost on Zhou Lide's temples even more striking. He gazed at Lin Yan, dressed in a coarse cloth shirt, below the steps. His withered fingers clenched until they turned white, his voice trembling like a candle flickering in the wind, yet each word resounding: "Lin Yan, I have spent half my life teaching and have seen many bright students, but few are like you, who, even in dire straits, still yearn for the sages. My knowledge is shallow, and I dare not call myself a 'teacher,' but if you do not despise me, the scriptures on my desk and the knowledge in my heart are all mine!" Before his words had even finished, this old scholar, who had once refused princes and nobles and guarded his impoverished academy, slowly bent his hunched back and bowed to Lin Yan, who was younger than his grandson. His movements were slow but solemn; his robes swept across the dust on the ground, making a soft rustling sound, yet it struck Lin Yan's heart heavily. Lin Yan's pupils contracted sharply, and he hurriedly stepped forward to support his teacher's arm—an arm as thin as a rake, yet carrying immense weight. His nose stung with tears as he recalled the days and nights he had spent secretly studying in the woodshed, the humiliation of being mocked by the gentry's sons for "a poor family's inability to attain high status." All his pent-up emotions now melted into scalding tears. He knelt, his forehead striking the blue bricks with a resounding thud: "Master, please accept this bow from your student Lin Yan! I will never fail your kindness, the sages, or the people of Great Xia!" The oil lamp flickered, and the shadows of the master and student overlapped on the wall—one aged yet resolute, the other young and passionate—together illuminating a long and arduous road to success. (Tags: #PoorScholarMeetsTalent #MasterAndStudentTogetherToAchieveSuccess #AncientStyleIntrigueOpening #InheritingTheMantleOfSages #GreatXiaSpiritIlluminatesEternity)

8. 8 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

   The author is quite skilled and has definitely studied [Sparrow's Masterpiece].

9. 9 科 The Imperial Exams: From a Duke’s Bastard Son to a Powerful Official 科举！从公府庶子到权臣的青云路 Zhou Shusen周树森Historical4.2M WordsOngoing [Not a BL novel! Not a male-male romance! One male lead, little to no romance, and a plot-focused story.] [Transmigration + Illegitimate Son of a Duke’s Estate + No System + Imperial Exams + Political Intrigue] He transmigrates, and the good news is that he’s now an illegitimate son of the Duke of Wei’s household, with food and clothes taken care of and no need to worry about making a living. The bad news is that he’s not only unloved, but also mocked and looked down upon. Heh. Never look down o 48kReads8.9Score4.3kShelves

   Reader note

   I highly recommend the first and second books. The author's writing style is fluent, the pacing is brisk, and the plot is very engaging.

10. 10 卖 Selling Vegetables and Studying, Then Becoming the Top Scholar 卖菜读书，结果高中状元 Three Layers of Belly Fat三层肚腩Historical1.1M WordsCompleted After Shen Qingfeng dies alongside the Zombie Emperor in the apocalypse, he transmigrates to an alternate dynasty called Great Chu and becomes a child in Ning'an Village. The boy, nicknamed Dog Egg, is frail from birth, suffers from heart disease, and has a lowly name. Luckily, his proper name is Shen Yu'an. After studying for a few months with the elders, Shen Yu'an decides to take the imperial examinations, only to discover that his ancestors were exiles, and the descendants of exiles for thre 5.5kReads8.9Score573Shelves
11. 11 小 The Daily Life of a Minor Official's Son Preparing for the Imperial Exams 小官之子科举日常 Ninth Day of the First Month良月初九Historical377k WordsCompleted [Woman Transmigrates into a Man + Imperial Exams + Farmer's Son + No Problematic Family Members + No Pocket Dimension + No Golden Finger] Lin He, a graduate student in history, transmigrates into the Great Qi, a dynasty that never existed in history, and goes from being a woman to a man. His family has nothing to its name: his father is a catlike academic prodigy, his mother a tigerlike farmer, and Lin He's life is a constant struggle. Fortunately, his father earned the jinshi degree early on, a 1.8kReads8.8Score130Shelves
12. 12 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
13. 13 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
14. 14 科 Imperial Exam Triumph: The Strongest Female Grand Secretary 科举逆袭：最强女首辅 Dressed in Splendor宝妆成Ancient Romance1.8M WordsCompleted After finally becoming the first female heir in her family, she opens her eyes and finds herself back before the revolution. Her father is dead from the start, leaving her with a frail mother and three beautiful older sisters. She is the only son who can carry on the Cheng family line... Cheng Qing looks down at her slightly developed chest, wondering what on earth went wrong. Surrounded by scheming wolves, Cheng Qing, now with a new soul in her body, sets herself two small goals: First, keep pr 8.5kReads9.5Score1.3kShelves
15. 15 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
16. 16 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
17. 17 穿 Transmigrated to the Countryside: A Young Farmer's Road to the Imperial Exams 穿越之农家独苗苗的科举之路 Zhang Rubai张如白Ancient Romance2.5M WordsCompleted [Born into the Past + Farming + Imperial Exams + Fleeing Famine + Warfare] The slow-paced everyday life of a boy from a rural family in ancient times! Zhang Ping'an gets a new lease on life when he transmigrates to an ancient farming family. Fortunately, they are fairly well-off, so no one has to go hungry. He has six older sisters, and he is the only boy his parents had long hoped for. His parents favor sons over daughters, and all six sisters are fierce. He thought he was in for a story about 29kReads8.7Score2.8kShelves
18. 18 从 From Little Kid to Top Scholar, I Cheat My Way to the Top 从幼童到状元，我一路开挂 Dreaming Back to Childhood Songs梦回童歌Historical2.1M WordsOngoing [Alternate-history fiction + imperial examinations + slice of life + no golden finger] Here, clan ties are more important than life itself, and clan rules take precedence over the law. When Qin Haoran was three, his father was killed in a bloody fight over water rights. According to clan rules, the entire clan was supposed to raise the family that had lost its breadwinner. But fate's cruelty was far from over. Three years later, his young mother, unable to bear a life of loneliness and widowhood 59.6kReads8.6Score4.5kShelves

    Reader note

    I recommend these two books; this one is especially good.

19. 19 四 Siheyuan: I Rely on the Villagers to Crush the Vermin 四合院：我靠村里人碾压众禽 Eight Packs of Cigarettes八盒烟Male-Channel Fanfiction549k WordsCompleted The whole village chewed tree bark to send me to school, so I’ll take the entire village to live in a courtyard compound! During a famine, Zhang Zhongmin transmigrated with the Pinduoduo System, but couldn’t activate it because he wasn’t in a courtyard compound. To repay the villagers for hunting wild boars and selling grain so he could get a factory job, he clutched his golden finger that let him buy grain cheaply and tearfully headed to the city. Whenever grain went on flash sale, he bought it 9.1kReads8.5Score548Shelves
20. 20 弟 Little Brother, If I Call You Dad, Do You Dare Answer? 弟弟，姐叫你一声爹你敢答应吗？ Meow, No Salt喵不可盐Ancient Romance2.3M WordsOngoing [Transmigration + imperial examinations + martial world + farming + sister and brother + ensemble cast + playing the fool to catch the tiger off guard + feel-good + comedy + getting rich + transmigrating into a book] Transmigrated? Turned into a six-year-old little girl? Not bad. It’s like getting to grow young again. That troublesome little brother came along too? Not bad. At least I’ll have some company. My little brother turned into my dad? Not bad. I can accept that. Accept it, my foot! 36.5kReads9.1Score3.9kShelves

    Reader note

    Very good, worth investing in.

21. 21 全 My Clan Funded My Exams, So I Won My Dog an Imperial Title 全族供我科举路，我赠族犬诰命身 Househusband煮夫Historical2.9M WordsOngoing In her previous life, Fang Ziqi was a PhD in science at one of China’s top five universities. In this life, she transmigrates into a farming family in the Great Liang dynasty! A poor household, a father who secretly studies, a biased grandfather, and an uncle who has failed the exams ten times… In an age when everything is inferior to studying, Fang Ziqi has no choice but to tighten her belt and embark on the imperial examination path! She begins her studies at six! Takes the exams at eight! Pas 22.3kReads7.8Score2.2kShelves

    Reader note

    Quite good. As a ten-year veteran reader, my personal impressions are consistently excellent. It's clear the author's writing style is superb, perfectly capturing the tastes of a seasoned reader. Highly recommended! [Upvote][Upvote][Upvote][Follow][Follow][Follow]

22. 22 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
23. 23 理 A Top Science Student Takes the Imperial Exams? His Majesty Is Stunned by His Brilliance 理科状元考科举？强到朕傻眼 Lucky Lin招财林Historical2.2M WordsOngoing [Imperial examinations + court politics + farming + alternate history + daily life + lighthearted + no romance] Li Su had barely had time to savor becoming the top scorer in the national college entrance exam when he transmigrated as the youngest son of the Li family. His whole family doted on him, even though they lived on coarse grain and vegetables, and supported his studies. The original owner had been led astray by his classmates. Selfish and only interested in having fun, he had ruined him 88.6kReads8.9Score8.7kShelves

    Reader note

    A high-quality imperial examination text, highly recommended by an 11-year veteran bookworm.

24. 24 笑 You Mock My Clan for Never Passing the Imperial Exams? What Are You Crying For Now That I Passed All Three with Top Honors? 笑我全族不中举？三元及第你哭啥 A Useless Scholar无用一书生Historical323k WordsOngoing Zhang Yan, the top scholar of nine provinces, has just earned his doctorate when he opens his eyes and finds himself in a poor village in the Great Yong Dynasty. His clan has spent generations taking the imperial examinations, but after decades, not one of them has even passed the first degree. They have become the laughingstock of the entire village. But Zhang Yan sees the clan elders' good intentions. People say studying is hard, but how can it be harder than farming? He secretly swears, “Sinc 314Reads8.4Score101Shelves

    Reader note

    After being expelled from the Marquis's mansion, he sought refuge with his aunt and uncle, helped his uncle clear his name, studied under a famous teacher, and became the renowned Mei Lang of Jiangzuo. He achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations and, upon passing the exams, sued his biological father and stepmother who had abandoned his wife and children, successfully avenging his mother.

25. 25 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

    This is a collection of imperial examination novels that I personally find enjoyable.

26. 26 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
27. 27 我 I Made My Way to Prosperity Through the Imperial Exams 我靠科举奔小康 Lemon Loves Milk柠檬爱吃奶Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted There are awful people. No golden finger (Though being a modern person who transmigrates might be the biggest golden finger of all!) After transmigrating, Song Zhixue wants only to change his life of toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk. 20.2kReads8.2Score1.8kShelves
28. 28 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
29. 29 阿 Sister, I Passed the Imperial Examination! 阿姐，我中举了！ The Mantis Loves to Dance螳螂爱跳舞Historical647k WordsCompleted Scholar Chen studied hard all his life but never passed the provincial examination. Before he died, he told his eldest daughter, “You must make sure your younger brother studies and earns an official title. Otherwise, I won’t be able to rest in peace!” An elder brother is like a father, and an elder sister is like a mother. Bearing her father’s final wish, Chen Zhaodi resolutely laid down her terms: “If you want to marry me, you must send my little brother to school.” While everyone else in the 4.7kReads8.6Score350Shelves
30. 30 启 Your Majesty, the Top Scholar Is Slacking Off Again and Again 启禀陛下，状元郎他又又又开摆了 Fang Jinxi方锦溪Historical2.8M WordsOngoing [Imperial Exams and Farming]+ [Family Matters]+ [Building Wealth]+ [Scheming]+ [Alternate Ancient Setting] Lu Qilin, a modern enthusiast of intangible cultural heritage, unexpectedly transmigrated. When he woke up, he had become an eight-year-old village boy with a dim mind, whose mother had died young and whose father had disappeared. Fortunately, his grandparents and uncle and aunt truly loved him, and his two older cousins genuinely cared for him. It wasn't the worst start imaginable. Unfortu 13kReads8.5Score1.4kShelves
31. 31 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
32. 32 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
33. 33 拒 After Refusing to Rejoin My Clan, I Became a Great Scholar Through the Imperial Exams 拒绝认祖归宗后，我靠科举成文圣 Lonely Lamp in the Night Rain夜雨孤灯Historical482k WordsCompleted (Transmigration + wish fulfillment + imperial examinations + court politics + face-slapping + no System) He transmigrates to ancient times, only to find himself an illegitimate son who has never been acknowledged by his family. Su Shijin wants to change his fate through knowledge, but despite having mastered high school Chinese and graduated in applied mathematics, he can barely make sense of classical Chinese. Then he obtains a writing brush. From that day on, he earns the red mark on his foreh 2.3kReads9.0Score185Shelves
34. 34 大 Great Ming: From the Imperial Exams to Absolute Power 大明：从科举到权倾天下 Deep at Dusk日暮沉沉Historical2.1M WordsOngoing Li Ji accidentally transmigrates back to the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty, becoming the illegitimate son of a minor gentry family in Jiangnan! For ten years, no one knows he exists. His father dislikes him, and his elder half-brother and the servants bully and beat him at will. What a miserable life! No System, no inherited memories, just a completely new life... In the Great Ming, where everything else is beneath contempt and only scholarship is worthy, Li Ji originally only wanted to study, p 12.8kReads8.1Score1.1kShelves
35. 35 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
36. 36 苏 Su Chen'an's Journey Through the Imperial Exams 苏辰安的科举之路 Dream of Nine Hundred Million Girls九亿少女的梦梦Historical1.1M WordsCompleted Su Chen'an, a master of Chinese painting, had finally wrapped up an exhibition. Just as he walked out of the building, a flowerpot full of sunflowers came flying at him. He died on the spot. When he woke up again, he was almost starved to death inside his mother's womb. Every day, he teetered on the brink of starvation. He felt that if he absorbed even a little more nourishment from the amniotic fluid, his mother might die. But if he absorbed even a little less, the embryo that was him would pro 10.2kReads8.3Score877Shelves
37. 37 在 Life as a Kept Man in Ancient Times 在古代吃软饭的日子 Uncle Chen Who Loves Honeycomb Egg Yolk Pastries爱吃蜂巢蛋黄角的陈伯Ancient Romance529k WordsCompleted Someone asked Lu Chao how he became the youngest Minister of Works in the empire. What was the secret to his success? Lu Chao glanced at the person beside him and smiled. “First, you need to have a general for a wife.” The story of Lu Chao, a modern-day corporate drone who accidentally transmigrates to ancient times. He originally plans to lie flat, but ultimately becomes a wise minister of his generation. 5.5kReads8.8Score413Shelves
38. 38 不 If I Don’t Take the Imperial Exams, Should I Just Farm? 不科举，难道种地？ You Suo有所Historical1.5M WordsCompleted The new novel Sequence: Creator is currently being serialized. Give it a read! It's a story about surviving the apocalypse. Thank you 🙏. [Alternate History] [Imperial Examinations] [Plagiarist] [Political Scheming] [Farming] [No System] The barbarians on all four frontiers: anyone who dares invade will see their nation destroyed, their people wiped out, and their descendants cut off. I want this golden age to be exactly as I envision it. History is long, but I need only make the slightest effort 5.5kReads8.6Score398Shelves
39. 39 重 After Rewriting the Family Tree, Smoke Rose from the Ancestors' Graves: I'm Rich! 重开族谱后祖坟冒青烟，发家啦！ Astonishing Swan Takes Flight惊鸿鹊起Historical898k WordsCompleted [Business] [Imperial Exams] [Alternate Setting] [Everyday Life] [A Touch of Romance] Modern intangible cultural heritage video editor Li Yanning is in a car accident and transmigrates into the body of Li Yanning, a frail five-year-old boy. His biased grandfather and sharp-tongued step-grandmother are ready to let him die! Luckily, his reliable birth parents go all out to protect him. So touching... But after the family splits up, they're left with nothing. His parents are bullied, and his greedy 3.7kReads8.6Score321Shelves
40. 40 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
41. 41 穿 Reborn as a Marquis's Bastard Son? Then I'll Take the Imperial Exams! 穿成侯门庶子？科举！科举！科举 Jin Rizhuhui晋日灼晖Historical1.0M WordsCompleted [Imperial Exams + Feel-Good Story + Business + Child Prodigy + Everyday Life + Political Intrigue] Song Mingyuan dies in a car accident and wakes up as an illegitimate son in the Marquis of Great Zhou's household. The good news: he has plenty to eat and wear, and maids to look after him. The bad news: his adoptive mother is his father's principal wife. Now that she has a son of her own, she sees Song Mingyuan as a thorn in her side and wants him dead! Song Mingyuan, who has transmigrated into t 17.8kReads8.2Score1.8kShelves
42. 42 遗 Life in Ancient Times as a Posthumous Child 遗腹子的古代生活 Cheng Shu Ju程书橘Historical2.2M WordsCompleted [No golden finger + farming + imperial examinations + alternate history + court politics in the later stages + everyday family life] He wakes up as the posthumous son of a county deputy in the Great Zhou dynasty. He may not be born into an official family, but surely the assets his father left behind are enough to make this only child rich. So he happily decides that in this life, he’ll coast to success. Things don’t go as he expected. His father died young after only a few years in office, leav 11.5kReads7.7Score1.2kShelves
43. 43 科 The Imperial Exams: A Bookish Son in a Clan of Illiterates 科举：九族文盲出了个读书郎 I'm a Pighead我是猪头Historical1.3M WordsCompleted [Complete] [Imperial Examinations] [Transmigration + No System] [No heroine in the early story; there may or may not be one later, and if there is, she won't get much page time] Not a single person in the Gu clan, spanning nine generations, could read or write. Even the family genealogy had been written by the clan chief through a mixture of guesswork and asking around. Then, all of a sudden, this family produced a scholar. At first, the villagers and the Gu clan relatives had little faith in Gu 80.6kReads8.7Score9.1kShelves
44. 44 都 Since I've Been Reborn, I'll Master Both the Pen and the Sword 都重来了，我当然要文武双全 Ximen Kun西门坤Historical1.6M WordsOngoing Set in an alternate early Ming Dynasty, this is a story about a science student who transmigrates. Simple middle-school physics experiments are enough to amaze everyone. He sparks a scientific awakening, founds a new school of thought, and brings materialism into Confucianism to accelerate social progress. You just need a little scientific knowledge. You can do it too, and there’s no golden finger!! 1.7kReads6.5Score101Shelves

    Reader note

    It's a classic Chinese style text, using a lot of classical Chinese, and it's truly a good piece of writing. This very fact alone is enough to deter many beginners.

45. 45 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

    Xia Ren, a double PhD in history and literature, is transported to the Great Jing Dynasty—a time 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, gains fame in the metropolitan examinations, and astounds the emperor in the palace examinations. Entering the court as a commoner, he finds the bureaucracy treacherous and rife with factional strife. Beset by treacherous officials and threatened by border troubles, he must contend with both open and covert attacks while simultaneously fulfilling his aspirations to govern and benefit the people. He promoted agriculture and sericulture, benefited industry and commerce, rectified officialdom, and brought peace to the four borders... Step by step, he rose from a poor scholar to the position of prime minister, writing a legend of "shrimp" and leaving a strong mark on the history books of the Great Jing Dynasty for this unexpected soul.

46. 46 科 The Imperial Exams: A Country Boy Becomes a Pillar of the Nation 科举：农村娃成了国家顶梁柱 Ji Gu Ha叽咕哈Historical1.0M WordsCompleted (Imperial examinations + farming + cuisine + infrastructure) Wang Xue'an wakes up in an ancient farming village, forced to chew wild greens day after day. He finally flips the table in a rage: this is no way to live! So he puts the knowledge he learned in another world to use, taking the imperial exams, building infrastructure, and creating delicious food... He cultivates superior seeds, boosts productivity, and builds an agricultural powerhouse. He develops new military technologies, expands th 2kReads7.4Score173Shelves
47. 47 假 The Fake Young Master Comes Home to Slaughter Pigs? My Parents Help Me Become the Top Scholar 假少爷回家杀猪？爹娘供我中状元 Little White Rabbit in the Waves浪里小白兔Ancient Romance520k WordsOngoing [Slow-paced + family life + ensemble cast + Northeastern dialect + alternate setting + a bit of everything] We've transmigrated!!! The whole family of three, all together! Their son is the fake young master of someone else's family. He's been enjoying the good life there for ten years, while the real young master sees him as a thorn in his side and wants him gone. No problem: Mom and Dad have his back, so none of that matters. Mom is a craftswoman who can do anything except smithing. Dad is a su 165Reads—Score105Shelves
48. 48 我 I'm a Seven-Year-Old Prodigy, and I'll Earn Six Honors in the Imperial Exams 我七岁神童，科举路上六元及第 Heaven-Defying Abstract Meow Meow Lord逆天抽象喵喵君Historical731k WordsOngoing In his previous life, Su Mingli was a genius with a photographic memory. In this life, he was born into a poor family in the Great Zhou Dynasty and awakened the wisdom of his past life at age seven! Just look at this family: bran porridge every day, an honest older brother and sister-in-law working themselves to the bone, a good-for-nothing cousin, Su Mingzhi, who has failed the children's imperial exam six times, and parents nearly driven mad by the imperial examinations! Su Mingli: ...I can't 34Reads8.8Score—Shelves
49. 49 五 My Five Sisters Helped Me Reach for the Clouds, So I Won Them Noble Titles 五姐扶我青云志，我送她们诰命身 No Divine Dragon in Sight不见神龙Historical431k WordsCompleted Zhang Xiaozhi, a modern liberal arts student, transmigrates into the ancient world as Zhang Xiaozhu, the son of a butcher. He is too weak to lift a load or even hold a tool, and looks set to starve to death. His mother grits her teeth and decides to send him to school, but his butcher father refuses to hear of it. Studying will never make money as fast as slaughtering pigs. Just then, his eldest sister, Jinhua, speaks up: “Father, Mother, stop arguing. I agree that Zhu'er should study.” His se 705Reads6.7Score107Shelves
50. 50 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

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