
The Unambitious Son (Imperial Examinations)
庶子无为(科举)
Synopsis
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In booklists 57
Explore more →My Personal Archive of Books I Started Paying for but Didn't Fully Subscribe To
Putting these here so they don’t take up space in my favorites. Brief notes on why I stopped reading, purely because they weren’t for me. I haven’t bought the full books, so my ratings on this list don’t reflect the books themselves.
A Few Imperial Exam Novels
I like stories with strong plotlines, regardless of pairing. I read BG, BL, no-CP, and derivative works.
Romance from the Male Lead's Perspective
Historical and period stories told from the male lead’s perspective.
Ridiculous, Satisfying, and Sweet Stories
I'm getting too old for angst, so these are mostly laugh-out-loud wish-fulfillment stories with happy endings. There's BG, no CP, danmei, male and female POVs, a bit of everything, but they're all great.
Historical Novels (Complete)
All completed, and I’ve read every volume
Farming and Transmigration
Keeping track of stories I’ve read.
Male POV, Version 1.0
None.
Imperial Examinations and Court Politics, Changing History
Court politics.
Romance with Male Protagonists
Romance novels with male protagonists that I've read and recommend. Romance from the male lead's perspective.
Authors on My Blacklist
For personal use
Historical Imperial Exam Novels
Do you like historical fanfiction or imperial exam stories? Want to see the male or female lead go all out building a career? You’ve come to the right place
Odds and Ends
Clearing out my list. These are all top-quality!
The Books I Think Are Best
Plot first, romance second
Heartwarming Reads to Save for Later
Stories that crossed your path over the years. Looking forward to meeting you again this cozy winter as you stock up on reads.
Crown Prince Rivalry and Imperial Examinations
Mostly historical fantasy exam dramas and succession struggles told from the male lead’s perspective
Heartwarming Reads to Stock Up On (Imperial Exams, Infrastructure)
Stories that once crossed your path. Hope to meet you again this cozy winter as we stock up on reads.
For Personal Use, Reading Log, Dropped at 1
Clearing out my bookshelf, with some rants about novels I couldn't keep reading.
Heartwarming Reads I Highly Recommend
My personal rereads over the years! Includes food, period dramas, quick transmigration, Dream of the Red Chamber spin-offs... All worth keeping!
Imperial Examination Stories
Imperial examination stories.
2025 Completed Reads Log
A bit of everything: wish fulfillment, power progression, Western fantasy, cyberpunk, historical development and imperial exams, cyberpunk, directors and actors writing novels, and making money and starting businesses in a bygone era.
Good Books
I have pretty eclectic tastes
Books I Finished
A bit of everything, mostly easy reads
No Character Growth, No Reading, Part 3
of
Infrastructure Building / Imperial Exams / Period Pieces
A collection of all kinds of stories I've read: kingdom building, imperial examinations, patriotism, period pieces, and more
Reader comments 16
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This is a book I am willing to read twice It was in a book written by a female author that I saw revenge for the world, a protagonist who wanted to revitalize the family inheritance rather than for himself. The aristocratic family that I studied before was finally reflected in this book. The starting point of everything the male protagonist does is no longer to promote his personal career, but also to lay out the future of the entire family. How many years can his personal success last, and how many years can the success of the entire family last? In addition, as a time traveler, Jiang Lin wanted to reform and make ordinary people live a better life. He did not use his personal power, but subtly influenced Shen Jiangyun and the students of the Shen family in that era. Let the phrase "a great shelter for poor people all over the world make everyone happy" is no longer an empty talk, and the aristocratic identity of the Marquis An's Mansion in the setting can truly be used to do things for the common people. In the marriage of the Shen brothers, Zhong is the female general, Xie is the educator, and they are in free love. Isn't it still an "arranged marriage"? It shows me that the author has thought about ancient marriages, and is not just writing novels based on stereotypes. Including the marriage and love of the protagonist group, even if there are not many inks in each chapter, the foreshadowing of the early characters still allows me to see different relationships. The elder brother and sister-in-law are a match made in heaven, Shen Xie is a love who grows up together, Lu Xie is love at first sight, Meng Chen is a love after marriage, Yin Shen is a happy enemy, Master Tang and Mrs. Zhong are close to each other. . . . All women are no longer the stereotyped characters in scientific literature. Yang Shoufu and Second Lieutenant Yang in the court are not stereotyped "bad guys". They are all working hard for their own families. Even in the last few pictures, I even feel that Yang Shoufu will praise his grandson at home after going to court. "I did the right thing today." In short, in this book, I saw that all people really work hard to make the people live a better life, and they work together to create an "enlightened and prosperous age."
This barrage extra is really unsettling. Our brother Lin should be remembered in history. Why should he be erased?
It feels like there are a bit few extras and the ending is a bit hasty. Has the contribution of our protagonist been erased in the future? It's okay to erase it, why not write about the fact that his contribution was seen by future generations... We can't let others leave their names in history. Our protagonist has done so many things and the impression left in the history books is just the name of the number one scholar. It feels a bit unfair, like dozens of chapters have been read in vain.
This article is really crazy. The male protagonist was demoted and his achievements are unknown. Is this the male protagonist?
I waited until the end to watch it. It was a bit anticlimactic. It didn't look good when the heroine came out. The emotional line was really written very well and without tension. Although a lot of pen and ink was spent to write about the excellence of the heroine, it just didn't quite click. The relationship between the male and female protagonists was that they were respectful to each other, and there was no spark. This was the only shortcoming. Everything else was written very well, very well, very good??
I happened to be studying "Xiang Ji Xuan Zhi" by Gui Youguang recently, and I was very moved by the "clan" perspective of this article. Because Gui Youguang is from the Ming Dynasty. His ancestors were once prominent but later declined. Gui Youguang was also very sad about the laziness, inaction, and mutual estrangement within the clan, but he could not change it. He wanted to revitalize his family through the imperial examinations. The first half of his life went smoothly. He ranked first in the county examination at the age of twenty, but he did not pass the Jinshi examination until he was 60 years old. He died in office at the age of 66. It can only be said that novels are still novels after all, and there are very few talented and beautiful people who can lead the clan all the way up. Attached is an excerpt from Gui Youguang's "Genealogy Notes" As for the Gui family, they were born with light, but they were declining day by day. The source is far away but the end is divided, the mouth is many but the heart is different. Starting from my ancestors and other fathers, people who are greedy, deceitful, deceitful and violent often come out of the house. He led hundreds of people to gather together, but no one knew the scholar. He led ten people to study, but no one knew the etiquette and justice. Poverty without knowing compassion, stubbornness without knowledge of education. They do not mourn each other in death, and do not celebrate each other in joy; when they enter the house, they cheat on their wives, and when they go out, they deceive their fathers and brothers. If you usually spend thousands of dollars to greet your friends, but if you recommend sacrifices during the year, it will be a waste of time. Zudou pot wine cup, fresh or Jingjia. All the sons and all the women, their classes are less decorated. It is because of the reason of warning the guests that the period of the general's affairs is changed; when the dumplings are taken out of the kitchen, the newly recommended ones are changed, and the return family is almost not worshipped.
It's great, it's really well written [poor]
I feel that the author's articles always start but end, and there is still a lot to be written about reform.
Good looking It's just a little rushed at the end.
I also feel a bit regretful. Just when I was reading this, you told me that the main text is over...