Zhu Xuan was born with no extraordinary luck, into a humble rural family with only a few acres of thin land and a handful of livestock. She had older brothers and sisters above, younger siblings below; every three years, two more mouths were added to the family table. Her father wandered idly about, neglecting his duties, but fortunately, her mother and grandparents worked diligently to keep the household afloat. Sandwiched in the middle, Zhu Xuan grew up half-fed, half-starved, somehow making it through. Had it not been for the benevolence of a transmigrator who instituted three years of compulsory education for all in this feudal society, the native-born Zhu Xuan’s fate would have been to marry some ordinary fellow from a neighboring village, someone like Wang Er or Li San. But at six years old, she entered the village school, and with her studies, her scholarly name changed to Zhu Xuan—Xuan, meaning “small flight.” Furious flight, hungry cry; Xuan is unstoppable. The flutter of a transmigrator’s butterfly wings created a narrow fissure in this world, a crack that led toward the ladder to the heavens, and Zhu Xuan, with luck and clarity, squeezed her way through. * That spring, the examination halls saw the addition of several female figures adorned in hairpins and skirts; for the first time, women could participate in the imperial examinations. When the top rankings were revealed, the entire court was shaken—a woman had claimed the highest honor. As the first woman in history to rightfully earn the title of top scholar, Zhu Xuan recalled her years of study, when women were still barred from the exams. Men studied for fame and fortune, to enter the emperor’s court at dusk. But in those lonely years of learning, before women were allowed to take the imperial exams, what meaning did her pursuit of knowledge hold? Perhaps it was only for the sake of bearing witness to her own path—to prove Zhu Xuan’s own way. “Besides being chosen, arranged, married off, giving birth, and passively completing the life prescribed for a woman, perhaps—just perhaps—I might, through learning and wisdom, discover other possibilities.” “Though born a humble sparrow, I too harbor the ambitions of a swan.” Alternate title: “Eternal Celebration” The daylily flourishes; eternal youth endures. May a hundred thousand birthdays know no end. —Anonymous Song Dynasty, “Eternal Celebration” Notes: 1. This story is set in an imagined world. The examination system is a blend of historical and invented elements; please do not scrutinize for accuracy. 2. The heroine is a true native, untouched by transmigration, though some supporting characters are transmigrators. 3. This is not a typical examination novel—it does not follow a fast-paced, power-up narrative. The main thread is the heroine’s journey of self-discovery and growth. 4. The early chapters dwell on family life and rural daily scenes, with a slow pace and no major golden finger; the heroine advances step by step. 5. There is a hint of romance, but it will not overshadow the heroine’s career line. She will not marry, bear children, or retreat into the inner chambers; the official pairing is largely in the background. 6. Every reader has their own taste; if you choose to abandon the book, no need to announce it. 7. The author is a novice, with limited skill and many shortcomings. Every subscriber to the official release is an angel—thank you for your understanding. 8. Regarding the word “humble origins” in the title: in early history, it referred specifically to scholar clans of low status; after the decline of the aristocracy in the Wei and Jin dynasties, it broadly referred to families of modest means. The title uses the latter meaning..

When Han Qing awoke, he found the world utterly transformed. There was a beautiful wife, charming and gentle; a masked assassin forever losing her way; an old beggar in white, pleading atop the city walls by day and wielding a flying sword to kill in the dead of night. It was the second year of the Qingli era—a time of great turmoil in the court, with powerful enemies at the borders and treacherous ministers within. At this moment, Han Qing was still an inconspicuous young scholar, struggling from place to place for the sake of livelihood and his future. In this life, he did not seek noble rank or high office—only that injustice would no longer stain the world. This is the tale of a humble man’s rise from obscurity..

After being transported from the modern world into a poor farming family in northern Ming China, Zhou Zhi found himself confronting a life of hardship and humiliation. The weight of poverty pressed upon him, making the pursuit of scholarly studies fraught with obstacles at every turn. In an age where scholars thrived and illustrious ministers filled the imperial court, to rise above the masses was no easy feat. Yet, where there is resolve, there is a way. This young man, still bearing the rustic air of the countryside, was determined to prove that the saying "A humble farmer by morning, a court official by evening" was not merely a legend. He would become a pillar of the Great Ming, carving his name into history through unwavering will and relentless effort..

Yu Shensi was transmigrated into the body of a wealthy young master in ancient times. After his father became the top scholar in the imperial examination, he climbed high and fawned over the powerful, abandoning his wife and children. His elder siblings, carrying him—only three years old at the time—begged their way from the capital back to their ancestral home, only to be driven out by their uncles. In the dead of winter, dressed in thin clothes and shivering in a dilapidated hut, his eldest sister held him tightly in her arms, her eyes red from crying, while his gaunt elder brother forced the last morsel of food into his mouth. Everyone watched coldly, convinced that without parents, these children would die from hunger or freeze to death before the year’s end. Yet, in the blink of an eye, they saw this band of siblings go from starving three times a day to overflowing with wealth; from unable to afford brush and ink to sweeping the imperial examinations; from being bullied by all to earning the respect of court and country. Later, Yu Shensi sat in a place of honor, while his callous father knelt at his feet, weeping and begging, “Master Yu, please show me a path to survival!” Note: The "abandoned children" refer to the four siblings—Yu Shenwei, Yu Shenyen, Yu Shenxing, and Yu Shensi—who are all main characters. Some plot details have been adjusted; apologies for any inconvenience..