I Traveled into Dream of the Red Chamber to Take the Imperial Exams

[Original male protagonist, paired with Sister Bao, light ensemble cast] 1. Jiang Zhimiao was fifteen before he learned that he had transmigrated into a book, and not just any book, but one of the Four Great Classical Novels, Dream of the Red Chamber. Lin Ruhai, Lin Daiyu, Jia Yucun, Xue Pan... One familiar name after another appeared before him. Looking at the impoverished Jiang family, surrounded by enemies, Jiang Zhimiao thought it over and decided that studying for the imperial examinations offered the best prospects. He became Lin Ruhai's student and passed the provincial, metropolitan, and palace examinations as the top-ranked candidate. He rose quickly through the ranks at court, and his reputation spread far and wide across the prefectures and counties. The people raised memorial arches in his honor and built shrines to him. None of his former enemies could have imagined that the obscure Jiang family's son would become the youngest chief minister of the dynasty and its most revered incorruptible official. He established schools for girls and broke with old customs. The women of the Red Chamber never expected that the miserable lives they thought awaited them would take such a turn. 2. When Jiang Zhimiao realized he had entered Dream of the Red Chamber, he sighed to himself. He could barely protect himself, so how could he change the girls' fates? Besides, as an outsider, he probably wouldn't even catch a glimpse of the Twelve Beauties. He had assumed he would have to wait until the Jia family fell before he could save Qiaojie and buy Xiangyun's freedom. Then his family told Jiang Zhimiao that he'd been betrothed since infancy to a girl surnamed Xue, from a prominent family in Jinling. Jiang Zhimiao: That description... Is something wrong here?! 3. Xue Baochai had been raised as a boy from childhood, but after her father's death, she had no choice but to abide by convention and become a proper, well-mannered young lady from a respected family. Her mother was weak, her older brother was dissolute, and after arriving in the capital, the young masters she met were mostly good-for-nothings, incompetent and foolish. They were even worse than women. She accepted it, but couldn't help thinking: If only men would study, gain wisdom, and help govern the country and its people. Yet there were no such men to be found. She never expected someone to come surging into her life and stand by her side, first earning the top rank in the palace examination, then becoming an upright official, all to show her that such a man truly existed in this world. ** Content warnings: 1. The male lead and Sister Bao are betrothed. This is a nonstandard arranged-marriage-to-love story, and they are soulmates. 2. This is entirely fictional, but some members of the Jia family are portrayed negatively. The girls are not. Xue Pan will be reined in, and the story contains original elements. 3. There is no love triangle involving Bao, Dai, and Chai. They are purely friends. Both leads are virgins, and the ending is happy. 4. Light ensemble cast. A recommendation for my upcoming story next door: Can a Hated Person Become Everyone's Favorite in a World of Inhuman Beings? 1. As the supernatural resurges and horrors emerge, the federal government establishes restricted zones to reduce the danger. Every three years, a batch of unlucky people is chosen to be sent to their deaths inside. This time, the one selected is He Chu's beloved younger brother, who everyone adores. His brother shed a few tears, and their parents drugged He Chu with a single injection, beat him half to death, and threw him into the restricted zone. He Chu had only just woken up when a monster appeared right in his face: (Bleep!) (Bleep!) (Bleep!) But life still had to go on. Luckily, He Chu had a stroke of luck and awakened a rare talent. [Talent name: Unknown [Talent rank: Unknown] [Talent description: Humans find you annoying, abominations adore you, and those with talents have a love-hate relationship with you.] [Ability description: Kill a living creature, and you gain all of its abilities.] Though it seemed villainous, the talent was incredibly powerful: In the first month, He Chu found a place to live downtown: a beautifully decorated garden villa at such a low rent it might as well have been free. The green-eyed landlord, who had autism, was shy and gentle, always smiling warmly. In the second month, He Chu infiltrated a company to carry out a mission. The company, where ten out of ten people died, welcomed him with open arms. There was no interview; he was hired in a day. His direct supervisor was cold to everyone else but passionate toward him, giving him a promotion and a raise, and even volunteering to help him escape federal supervision. In the third month, He Chu got a new partner: a cool, poker-faced guy, utterly reliable, whose words said one thing and whose actions said another. He saved He Chu from danger again and again, and patiently wiped away every tear. In the fourth month, He Chu broke free from the Federation and started a new online romance just as he gained his freedom. His partner was innocent, sweet, and adorable, and loved sending him all kinds of cutesy stickers. He Chu was plagued by the sweetest of troubles. #EveryoneThinksIWasBanishedToTheRestrictedZoneButIKnowThisPlaceIsHeaven# Then the day of destruction arrived. Vines from beneath the landlord connected to the entire city. Twisted tentacles in the pitch-black deep sea had the supervisor's eyes. Black wings sprouted from his partner's back as he stared impassively at the lamb kneeling before him in worship. And the data turbulence that floated in midair, killing everything in its path, sent him kissy stickers. They spoke in unison: Are you afraid? He Chu, who had long seen through it all: Grinning. 2. In the year 372 of the New Star Era, the mists surrounding the restricted zones dispersed, and countless monsters rushed toward the human world with hideous grins. After countless sacrifices, the adventurers finally broke into the tower at the source of the calamity. Inside a silver cocoon lay a beautiful person, pale and sickly. He was the embodiment of beauty, beauty at its utmost, a god of beauty. Overcome by an inexplicable impulse, the adventurers chopped through twisted roots, cut down surging tentacles, froze an unknown murky liquid, and blocked the data turbulence. After all that effort, they awakened the god. The god opened his eyes and smiled at them. "How pitiful." Theme: Be self-reliant, persevere, and work hard