The Fallen Clansman's Daily Life as an Imperial Exam Candidate

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Gu Jinan unexpectedly transmigrated into a newborn and became part of a branch of the imperial clan. He thought he had an unbeatable start, but he hadn't reckoned on how many relatives the emperor had. His family was among the most distant branches, and his adoptive father had even been expelled from the family by his grandfather.

When it rains, it pours. With nowhere to go, they were also swindled out of their money by a treacherous servant. Their good days seemed well and truly over.

Fortunately, his mother had planned ahead and brought her dowry silver with her. His father might be a wastrel, but he could paint beautifully. They were no longer as well-off as before, but there was still hope.

But who could explain how, without warning, his parents had added a younger brother and sister to the family? The sudden arrival of two little money pits made an already struggling household even worse off.

To say nothing of his parents, who loved nothing more than romance and pleasure, yet managed to be unusually gifted when it came to wasting money.

Watching the four of them spend money like water, Gu Jinan was convinced the family was doomed!

Their standard of living hadn't noticeably declined, but he tried to rescue the household before it fell apart. After several attempts, he discovered that he wasn't cut out for improving agriculture, and members of the imperial clan weren't allowed to go into business. The imperial exams and officialdom were the only path suited to someone who had spent his previous life grinding away at everything.

What could he do? Roll up his sleeves and keep grinding.

He studied the classics and practiced calligraphy through more than a decade of changing seasons, and at last earned a place on the imperial examination list. Now there was hope of saving the family.

Then he discovered that the sky was clear and there was no trouble at home. His father had even made a name for himself in the art world.

Oh! All that effort for nothing. Time to lie back!

But as he lay back, the emperor suddenly started treating him like a sworn brother. The princes called him Uncle, and even the empress dowager seemed inclined to arrange a marriage for him with a member of her clan.

Then there was the imperial grandson who followed him around all day. If the emperor hadn't strictly forbidden it, and his nephew the Crown Prince weren't such a decent fellow, he truly wouldn't want to be a teacher.

From the Hanlin Academy to the Imperial Academy, from a remote border town to the heart of the cabinet, he weathered many ups and downs and ultimately rose to the pinnacle of court service.

Help! All he wanted was to be a useless fringe member of the imperial clan, living off the family. Who decided to play "Raise the Grand Secretary"?

Reader's guide: A male lead who takes the imperial exams and navigates court politics, with a slice-of-life feel. There is a female lead and plenty of family life, but not much romance. The focus is on his career.

Coming soon: "I'm Checking Out. My Dad Is Li Shimin!"

Five-year-old Li Chengqian was a very happy child. His biggest worry was that his chubby little brother kept competing for their parents' affection. After missing a step and tumbling down the stairs, he had a long dream. In it, his chubby little brother became their father's favorite, while Chengqian had to endure being lectured every day and even ended up with a lame leg.

It was terrifying. Even after waking up, he still wanted to cry.

Li Shimin stared in astonishment, his eyes almost twitching, as his eldest son, whom he had always been proud of, clung to Guanyin Bi and sobbed out his complaints. His brilliant mind spun around and around, but he couldn't figure out how he had shown favoritism.

Only Li Tai, standing nearby with a finger in his mouth, giggled.

The older brother sobbed while the younger one giggled. Li Shimin, who had been reflecting on himself just a moment ago, instantly darkened. He kicked both boys over to their tutors and ordered them to hold hands and memorize the Classic of Filial Piety.

The sight was so beautiful that none of the tutors dared laugh, but they still carried out the Prince of Qin's order and began reciting on the spot. Even their grandfather Li Yuan came over to watch.

Chengqian felt he had made a complete fool of himself, so he decided to give his father the silent treatment. But why did he keep having those absurd, bizarre dreams every night? He even dreamed his father launched a coup and became emperor.

Was this dream going too far? It kept showing him all sorts of murderous schemes as if they were nothing.

He was only five, but he understood how serious this was.

If his uncles or grandfather found out about the things in his dream, his father would be in trouble.

Seeing his mother return from yet another palace banquet, exhausted from head to toe, he decided to keep the absurd dream firmly to himself. He wanted to see what other twists it might have in store.

Ha! It really did. By the end, his mother had died young and he had been deposed. The arrogant, violent way he acted in the dream made him clench his fists.

Dreams were obviously fake. How could a sweet child like him ever turn out that way?

But when he woke up from an ordinary night's sleep, how had his father become Crown Prince?!

His dazed mind hadn't fully cleared when his father became emperor, and he himself was named Crown Prince. The wheels of fate seemed to be spinning rapidly toward the events in his dream. That night, he dreamed of the person who would inherit his father's throne: his yet-unborn ninth little brother.

So Fat Sparrow would lose out too, in the end.

That was... just wonderful!

But since he already knew he was definitely not going to become emperor, and his health would be poor later, did he really need to work so hard?

He could look after his health, seek out famous doctors, and take care of his mother. Wouldn't all of that be more useful than being Crown Prince and getting an earful all day? Little Ninth could take over anyway, and his father wouldn't kill his own son.

Starting today, the Crown Prince's slacker life begins! Let's get deposed early and enjoy the freedom~

Li Shimin, who had finally gotten through the chaos of his accession, suddenly realized that his eldest son seemed to have entered his rebellious phase rather too quickly.

What a headache.

Reader's guide: A fun story, not a rigorous historical account, though it will be adapted with reference to official history. I'm cheering for Li Er with all my heart. The blurb is still being revised. This will be the next story; interested readers can add it to their collections.

Be the son of an emperor for the ages and enjoy the ultimate life of slacking!

Theme: Hoist the sails and press forward through every challenge.