zhòng​zhuàng​yuán

to come first in the palace exam

  1. zhòng verbparticle
    to hit
    hit (a target); be hit or struck by (a bullet, illness, poison, etc.); fall into (a trap); win (a prize); pass (an exam); qualify
  2. top scorer
    The candidate who ranked first in the highest level of the imperial examinations; also used for the person with the highest score in modern tests like the 高考 gāo​kǎo