A Tragic Drama's Cannon-Fodder Older Brother Rises Through the Imperial Exams

Imperial exams / food / raising kids / face-slapping (Complete. My next book will be set in Dream of the Red Chamber, with an original male lead paired with Bao-jie-jie. Please add it to your to-read list, everyone~) Xu Ciyan transmigrates and becomes the heroine's doomed older brother in a tragic romance. Their family is dirt poor, he's gravely ill, and he could die at any moment. Looking at the mother and daughter, both as skinny as monkeys, and remembering the original story's endless misery, heartache, and ridiculous melodrama, Xu Wenci sucks in a sharp breath. Of all pursuits, studying is the finest. He'd like to see who dares bully the sister of a powerful official! It's just the imperial exams, right? He'll take them! Earn money and get healthy; study under a famous mentor and build connections with officials. He'll rise swiftly through the ranks as a student, then make a name for himself far and wide as an official. When the original plot finally begins, Xu Wenci, the triple exam champion with power throughout the court, looks at his little sister with quiet satisfaction. It's time to show that foolish male lead who really gets to enjoy the fruits of hardship. In his previous life, Xiao Yan had someone he loved dearly: a delicate, timid woman with a pitiful air about her. Unfortunately, she came from the wilderness, uncouth and ignorant. No matter how much he loved her, he had to admit that she could never move in respectable circles. So, trapped by his ministers, he had no choice but to name someone else empress and hide his beloved away in the depths of the imperial palace, where they could be together for the rest of their lives. Reborn, Xiao Yan is brimming with confidence. He resolves to seize the throne in two steps, beat the civil officials at their own game, trounce the military, and bring the woman he loves into his harem. Of course, he can't neglect the concubines who bore him children in his previous life, either. But things turn out nothing like he imagined. Gazing at the graceful woman standing behind the newly appointed top scholar, Xiao Yan is dazed. Say that again. Who's her brother?! 1. The scumbag and the sister have no romance! After being reborn, he first waits patiently, then resorts to taking her by force, and finally ends up with everything in shambles. The sister's second male lead wins her heart. 2. There is a heroine. She appears after the male lead passes the jinshi exam. The scumbag is reborn after opening the capital city map. 3. The early chapters are slice-of-life and slow-paced. 4. This is an entirely fictional setting, entirely fictional, entirely fictional. Important things must be said three times! Serial 1~ How to Take the Imperial Exams After Transmigrating into Dream of the Red Chamber [Dream of the Red Chamber fanfiction, paired with Bao-jie-jie. No bashing Daiyu or any other girls. If you like it, please add it to your favorites!] 1. Jiang Zhimiao was sixteen when he discovered he had transmigrated into a book, and not just any book: 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 Jiang family, poor as church mice and surrounded by enemies, Jiang Zhimiao considered his options and decided studying for the imperial exams offered the best future. He studied under Lin Ruhai and passed the provincial, metropolitan, and palace exams with top honors. He rose swiftly through the ranks at court and made a name for himself throughout the land. People raised memorial umbrellas for him and built shrines in his honor. None of his old enemies could have imagined that this obscure son of the Jiang family would become the youngest chief minister of the dynasty and its most revered upright official. He opened schools for girls and broke with old traditions. The women of Dream of the Red Chamber never expected the miserable lives they'd resigned themselves to could take such a turn. 2. When Jiang Zhimiao realized he'd transmigrated into Dream of the Red Chamber, he sighed inwardly. If he couldn't even keep himself safe, how could he change the girls' fates? Besides, as an outsider, he might not even get a glimpse of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling. He'd assumed he'd have to wait until the Jia family fell before he could save Qiaojie and buy Xiangyun's freedom. Then his family told him he'd been betrothed as a baby to a girl surnamed Xue, whose family lived in Jinling and was one of the most prominent there. Jiang Zhimiao: Wait... Is something wrong with that description?! 3. Xue Baochai was raised like a boy from a young age, but after her father's death, she had no choice but to follow tradition and become a well-mannered, decorous young lady from a respectable family. Her mother was weak, her brother was a disgrace, and after arriving in the capital, the young masters she met were mostly worthless drunks, incompetent and foolish. They were even worse than women. She accepted it, but couldn't help sighing: If only men could study, learn to be wise, and help govern the country and its people. But she had yet to meet anyone like that. Then someone came crashing into her life and stood by her side. He first passed the top scholar's exam, then became an honest official, all so he could show her that such a man truly existed in this world. *** Preorder 2~ The Other Side of the Universally Hated [Nonhuman] [Dwelling in a whirlpool of hate, thirsting for a constant flow of love.] 1. As the supernatural resurfaces and horrors appear in the world, the federal government establishes restricted zones to reduce the threat. Every three years, a batch of unlucky people is selected and sent into the zones to die. This time, the one chosen is He Chu's beloved little brother, adored by everyone. The moment her little brother sheds a few tears, their parents knock He Chu out with a dose of drugs, beat her half to death, and dump her in the restricted zone. He Chu wakes up to a horror right in her face: "WQNMGB, " But life goes on. Fortunately, He Chu has some dumb luck and awakens a mysterious supernatural ability. [Ability name: Yinghuo] [Ability level: Unknown] [Ability description: 1. Love someone and wish them to live; hate them and wish them dead. To want both for them is to be bewitched. 2. Once you receive love, you will inevitably lose your freedom.] The ability is incredibly powerful: On day one, He Chu finds a place to live downtown: a beautiful townhouse with an elegant garden, and a rent so cheap it might as well be free. The silver-haired, green-eyed landlady is gorgeous and kind, an amazing cook, and gentle and thoughtful. On day two, He Chu gets a job at a listed company with a wide range of businesses. Her immediate superior is cold as ice to everyone else, but generous to her, giving her a promotion and a raise, and even offering to set up a research lab to treat her illness. On day three, He Chu makes a new friend, a cool guy with black hair and red eyes, whose sharp tongue belies his kind heart. He's saved her from danger several times and patiently wiped away every one of her tears. On day four, He Chu starts a sweet online romance. Her partner is purehearted, kind, and adorable, always sending her all kinds of cute, coquettish stickers and leaving her with the sweetest sort of trouble. With money, love, and a home of her own, He Chu is enchanted by the city. What do you mean restricted zone? This is paradise! Until the next Descent Day, when roots grow from the landlady's feet, the boss's trench coat hides a mass of twisted tentacles, her friend turns into a pool of writhing slime right before her eyes, and the computer sitting across from her at their in-person meetup sends her cute stickers... He Chu: (beep, ) (beep, ) (beep, ) 2. In the year 372 of the Nova Era, the fog surrounding the restricted zones clears, and countless horrors rush toward the human world with hideous grins. After countless adventurers sacrifice their lives, they finally break into the building at the heart of the restricted zone. Inside a giant silver cocoon lies a pale, sickly beauty. He is beauty incarnate, beauty perfected, a god of beauty. Seized by an inexplicable impulse, the adventurers cut through twisted tree roots, hacked down surging tentacles, froze the unknown foul liquid, and blocked the raging currents of data. After all their efforts, they awaken the god. The god opens his eyes and smiles at them. "How pitiful." [Things to note] 1. The male lead is not a good person! Not a good person! He's on the side of the horrors, has low morals, and feels no guilt about killing people! He will never forgive his enemies! Don't read if that bothers you. 2. All love interests are pure; nonhuman characters, all in. 3. Includes elements of post-apocalyptic wasteland, a touch of cosmic horror, cyberpunk, and more. Theme: Study hard and strive for success.