Novels like I Was Demoted After I Started Lying Flat
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as I Was Demoted After I Started Lying Flat, best match first.
- 1 The Struggles of a Poor Family in the Song Dynasty 宋代寒门的奋斗史 In the blink of an eye, a history PhD from the 21st century becomes the second son of a farming family outside Bianliang City. His family is dirt poor, the elders are shortsighted, and they even have a “precious heir” whom the whole family must support. As the second son of a branch family whom no one takes seriously, watch how Chen He works his way up, crosses class boundaries, and leaps from the farm into a new life. 1.9kReads7.6Score145Shelves
- 2 A Top Scholar Rises from a Humble Family 寒门出了个状元郎 A graduate student in finance from a top Chinese university transmigrates overnight. His home is bare, his stomach is empty, and everyone is scheming against everyone else. Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born to rule? 3.2kReads8.4Score215Shelves
- 3 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 [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
- 4 The Imperial Exam's Oxherd Class: A Young Scholar's Teacher Produces Three Thousand Successful Candidates 科举放牛班，童生夫子教出进士三千 A paradise for exam failures, and a graveyard for renowned scholars. A group of spoiled officials’ sons has become the century-old academy’s newest headache. The old scholar was so furious he suffered a stroke. Chen Fan, a licentiate serving as an assistant instructor, activated the god-tier imperial exam teaching System and was appointed head of the academy in its hour of need. The mischievous magistrate’s son mastered the Five Classics in four months. The unruly prefect’s son became the top sc 1.9kReads8.9Score172Shelves
- 5 The Imperial Exams: Soaring Ninety Thousand Miles 科举之扶摇直上九万里 Li Yanqing transmigrated to the Great Qi, a fictional dynasty. He told himself, “No need to worry. I’m a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. I can make a good life for myself anywhere.” But his father died, leaving behind a final wish: Li Yanqing should study, take the imperial exams, become an official, and make something of himself. To fulfill his father’s wish, Li Yanqing embarked on a decade of arduous study. Li Yanqing thought that since fate had brought him here, he ought to make use o 2.1kReads8.7Score145Shelves
- 6 The Imperial Exams: They All Say I'm the Star of Literature Reborn 科举，他们都说我是文曲星下凡 (This book blends elements of the imperial examinations, romance, court politics, bureaucratic intrigue, warfare, and more.) Zhao Lin was the youngest professor of classical Chinese literature in Huaxia. After transmigrating, he becomes a young scholar in the Great Zhou, celebrated as a “star of literary talent” and a “child prodigy.” But the Grand Examiner declares him “frivolous by nature, destined to achieve nothing.” With his reputation on the verge of collapse, he draws on the extraordinary 1.5kReads8.7Score161Shelves
- 7 What?! I Transmigrated into a Farmer's Son from the Start, and Now He Wants to Take the Imperial Exams 惊了！开局穿成农家子，他要科举 [Famine + transmigration + System + farming + imperial examinations + daily life] Shen Yu woke up one morning to find that he had transmigrated. It was bad enough for a science student to end up in ancient times, but he’d arrived in the middle of a famine, with his family having nothing to their name. Luckily, he unlocked a red packet group. Without it, how could he possibly survive in this strange world? The Shen family had one daughter after another. At last, the third son’s family had a bo 1.4kReads8.3Score107Shelves
- 8 Life in Ancient Times as a Posthumous Child 遗腹子的古代生活 [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
- 9 I Came First in the Imperial Exams and Became a Just Official in Ancient Times 科举成状元，我在古代当青天 An ordinary female college student is reborn in an imaginary ancient dynasty, where she becomes a man. As he struggles to adapt to this era, he sees the hardships of the common people, the extravagance of the powerful elite, the integrity of scholars, and the opportunism of politicians. This is a society ruled by a brutal class system. Unluckily for him, he has been reborn here, and all he wants is to live with dignity. Study, take the imperial examinations, become an official. At first, he only 1.2kReads8.5Score101Shelves
- 10 My Entire Clan! Supports My Imperial Exams 全族！供我科举 Imperial exams + transmigration + imperial exams + no golden finger, no System. The story draws on the privileges enjoyed by scholars in the Ming dynasty! The clan elder was a licentiate, and that was the only reason Baihu Village was protected. Now the elder is gone, and no new licentiate has appeared. The entire clan can only pool its strength to support one child. Just one licentiate can improve life in the village, give the children a future, boost the village economy, and make officials thi 13.8kReads8.5Score1.1kShelves
- 11 I Turn My Life Around Through the Imperial Exams 我靠科举逆袭人生 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
- 12 Eunuch Su's Road to the Imperial Exams 苏公公的科举之路 Chief eunuch Su Weisheng had finally endured his way to retirement, only to die unexpectedly. When he opened his eyes again, he had become a five-year-old child a century later, and all his enemies were dead! His relatives were unkind, and his parents were weak. Su Weisheng consoled himself: At least in this life, I won't have to be a eunuch. I can live with that! He takes on the worst of the family, manages the household, and studies for the imperial examinations. Only after achieving fame and 9kReads9.0Score1.1kShelves
- 13 The Commoner Chancellor, Xia Ren 布衣宰相虾仁 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
- 14 Su Chen'an's Journey Through the Imperial Exams 苏辰安的科举之路 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
- 15 If I Don’t Take the Imperial Exams, Should I Just Farm? 不科举，难道种地？ 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
- 16 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 [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
- 17 To Avoid Getting Beaten, I Started Studying for the Imperial Exams 为了不挨打，开始考科举 One day, Shen Qingyun becomes the youngest son of a farming family and thinks he can spend his whole life as a freeloader. But then disaster strikes, and he faces a dire predicament: His eldest brother went off to take a temporary job, but came back dead, wrapped in a straw mat; Other families in the village have several sons, but the Shen family has only him, their sole heir; His shrewish, favoritism-prone mother, his mistreated nieces, and his stooped, adopted father all depend on him; Bearing 1.4kReads8.6Score149Shelves
- 18 I Sing the Song of Mortals for You 吾为君吟凡人歌 [Male-Oriented, Transmigration, Fictional Setting, Farming, Everyday Life, Imperial Examinations, No System, No Golden Finger, Rural Life, Rustic Setting, One Heroine, Not a Power Fantasy] Lin Zezu, an ordinary nobody from Blue Star, transmigrates to the fictional Wu Kingdom. He arrives just as the original body's father, a scholar, dies of illness. Since the original body's birth mother was a brothel girl, his stepmother and eldest half-brother in the Lin family never treated him well. After Ma 2Reads6.4Score—Shelves
- 19 The Useless Prince's Substitute Bride 废物王爷的替嫁妃 The Useless Prince’s Substitute Bride 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 20 Nirvana: The Poisonous Consort Returns 涅槃：毒妃归来 Nirvana: The Poisonous Consort Returns 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 21 With a Photographic Memory, Isn’t It Only Natural I Came First in the Imperial Exam? 过目不忘，我中状元正常吧？ Lu Chengan forgot to drink Granny Meng’s soup. One day, he transmigrates to a remote mountain village in the Great Zhou dynasty and becomes the second son of the Lu family’s second son. To take the imperial examinations, Lu Chengan has no choice but to urge his father to better himself. Before he knows it, his father becomes an official. Lu Chengan: Does he still need to work hard? 47.9kReads8.6Score5.1kShelves
- 22 The Ballad of the Ancient Well 古井冤歌 The Grudge Song of the Ancient Well 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 23 After Marrying a Sweet Young Wife, I Worked Hard and Took the Imperial Exam 迎娶小娇妻后，我奋发图强考科举 One heroine + no System + lighthearted pacing A thorough understanding of the world is knowledge, and social savvy is good writing. Ren Junjie, a history graduate, suddenly finds himself in an unfamiliar world as the eldest legitimate son of the richest family in Xinchang County. A former wastrel, he turns over a new leaf and marries a lovely young wife. He rests every other day and works on the days in between, studying harder and striving to improve. With his deep knowledge of history, he purs 8.9kReads8.8Score715Shelves
- 24 The Wrong Heiress Strikes Back 错位千金的反击 The Wronged Heiress Strikes Back 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 25 Frozen for Three Years, Now the Stars Shine Again 冰封三年，星光再耀 Frozen for Three Years, the Stars Shine Again 6Reads—Score—Shelves
- 26 Who Dares Look Down on Me? 谁敢轻视我 Who Dares Look Down on Me? 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 27 The Blood Phoenix's Harem Scheme 后宫血凰谋 Blood Phoenix Schemes in the Harem 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 28 You Abandoned Me When I Failed the Imperial Exam, So Who Are You Now That I’ve Swept the Boards? 名落孙山你不陪，连中六元你是谁 [The short drama is now available, and the print edition is in publication.][Slow-burn, warm, and humorous][Alternate history + business + imperial examinations + one female lead + no System] Su Run transmigrates into the body of a disgraced scholar who has lost both his parents, failed the imperial exams, and earned a notorious reputation as a lovesick doormat. When he opens his eyes, his fiancée is publicly putting him down and emotionally manipulating him, even threatening to break off their 18.3kReads8.8Score1.6kShelves
- 29 Your Whole Family Hopes You'll Pass the Scholar Exam, but You Top All Six? 举家盼你中秀才，你六元连中？ [Imperial examinations in the early chapters + farming + everyday life + lighthearted + court politics later on] In his previous life, Shen Zhou was in poor health and cultivated himself through a quiet, disciplined lifestyle, becoming rather indifferent by nature. Then he transmigrated to an ancient peasant family. The entire Shen family pooled their resources to support the original owner’s studies, hoping only that he would pass the county-level examination and become a licentiate. Sadly, the 14.7kReads8.7Score1.4kShelves
- 30 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 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
- 31 The Chief Minister's Road to the Imperial Examinations 首辅的科举之路 [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
- 32 Uncovering the Truth, Step by Step 步步揭真相 Uncovering the Truth, Step by Step 6Reads—Score—Shelves
- 33 Who Dares Steal My Name? 谁敢窃我名 Who Dares Steal My Name? —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 34 Rebirth in the Eighties: From Framed to Flourishing 涅槃八零：从诬陷到崛起 Phoenix Reborn in the Eighties: From Framed to Rising Star 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 35 Urban: Against the Current 都市：逆流而上 Urban: Against the Current 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 36 Behind the Glamour: A Rich Heiress's Secret 璀璨背后：豪门太太的秘密 Behind the Glamour: A Rich Wife's Secret 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 37 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 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
- 38 Selling Vegetables and Studying, Then Becoming the Top Scholar 卖菜读书，结果高中状元 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
- 39 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 [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
- 40 I Was Reborn in a Farming Novel, but I Don't Want to Pass the Imperial Exams on Talent 穿进种田文里，我不想靠才华科举 Su Congli transmigrated. To stay alive, he studied day and night and threw himself into the imperial examinations. Who could have guessed? At the provincial exam: “What are you staring at, chief examiner?” At the metropolitan exam: “Why do these examiners all seem so strange?” At the palace exam: “Oh! Isn’t that guy sitting in the throne hall the one who stares at me every night?” Emperor Qiyuan prided himself on being a wise ruler of his age, blessed with extraordinary fortune. Who knew he’d ru 11.3kReads8.9Score949Shelves
- 41 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 [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
- 42 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 [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
- 43 A Woman Transmigrates as a Man: A Farmer’s Road to the Imperial Exams 女穿男：农家子的科举青云路 [Female-to-male transmigration + imperial examinations + romance later on + remembered in history + founding the family tree] In her previous life, Qin Huan grew up in an orphanage and worked her way into a university degree. She landed a job at a major company and was on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of success. Her only regret was never having much family to speak of. When she opened her eyes again, she had traveled from modern times to the past, and from a woman to a man. She had become 9.6kReads9.0Score1kShelves
- 44 The Imperial Tutor's Road to the Civil Service Exams 农门帝师的科举之路 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
- 45 A Poor Scholar of Noble Character 一品寒士 [Single heroine, semi-fictionalized Tang Dynasty] In an era when the great aristocratic clans looked down on the imperial family, Zhao Quan was born to a farming family and entered school carrying the hopes of his parents and six older brothers. Farming was out of the question: even the village head’s family had no food to spare… So he had no choice but to take the imperial exams and become an official. 10.2kReads9.3Score888Shelves
- 46 An Ambitious Country Boy's Life in Ancient Times 农家小子的古代上进日常 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
- 47 Luring Ghosts and Catching Criminals: A Low-Ranking County Magistrate 坑鬼捉凶，一品小县令 When Chu Ling opened her eyes, she had become the novel's number-one female side character, a troublemaker who ultimately got herself killed when the heroine shot an arrow through her heart. Knowing how the plot would unfold, Chu Ling spat in disdain, broke free of the story's control, and threw herself into building a career. But being a county magistrate is no easy job. One day, a ghostly maid comes to air her grievances; the next, a ghostly tutor shows up to reprimand her. Even stepping outsi 5.8kReads9.5Score956Shelves
- 48 I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examinations 我，孙山，科举 “Imperial exams + transmigration + farming + exams + no space System” “Romance included, devoted male lead. The female lead is his childhood sweetheart, but she appears infrequently. Romance is not the main plot.” “The male lead rises step by step through hard work and good luck.” “The male lead is no good at scheming, but he gets things done and has technical skills.” “The imperial examination system is based on the Ming and Qing dynasties.” After an accident, he is transmigrated into the womb 47.9kReads8.8Score3.2kShelves
- 49 A Woman in a Man's Body: The Concubine-Born Heir's Rise to Power 女穿男，庶房嫡子的逆袭 Now available as an audiobook with a full cast. [Alternate history] + [Woman transmigrates as a man] + [Born into this world] + [Imperial exams and business in the early story] + [Court politics later on] + [One female lead, with a relatively small role] + [A touch of ensemble cast] + [No golden finger] Xie Chengxi was born into another world as the sixth son of the Xie family, a minor family in Bianjing's Grain Transport Guild. His father was the clan's rejected son, kept under pressure for yea 33.9kReads8.3Score3.7kShelves
- 50 To Avoid Planting Rice, I Work Hard to Pass the Imperial Exams 为了不插秧，努力考科举 [The short drama adaptation is now streaming] A modern SSS-rank researcher dies suddenly and transmigrates to the Great Xing Dynasty. His health is so poor that he's not allowed to pick rice in the fields until he's six. Sunstruck and light-headed, Li Jing decides that farming with this body is a risky business, so he immediately resolves to study for the imperial examinations. That's what he's good at; the transplanting can be left to the professionals! The following year, now named Li Yiqing, 23kReads9.3Score2.2kShelves
