Servant Scholar

Lu Lin, a brilliant young man from a destitute family, cunningly signs a 'living contract' to become a scholar's page in the Liu household—securing his chance to study and escaping the fate of being sold off at will. Leveraging his extraordinary intellect, he rises step by step, breaking free from his clan's exploitation and helping his parents split the family estate to stand independently. He triumphs as top scorer in the county-level imperial examination—only to be sabotaged by rivals who weaponize his former slave-status against him.