diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index 91a12bb..69fc850 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023-present LingKa <cnfty786@gmail.com>
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache 2.0
+
+import sys
+
+sys.path.append("./api/curp")
+
+sys.path.append("./api/xline")
diff --git a/tests/protocol_test.py b/tests/protocol_test.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bfd96cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/protocol_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+"""Tests for the protocol client."""
+
+import unittest
+import uuid
+
+from api.xline import rpc_pb2, xline_command_pb2
+from client.protocol import build_from_addrs
+
+
+class TestProtocolClient(unittest.TestCase):
+    """test protocol client"""
+
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        curp_members = ["172.20.0.3:2379", "172.20.0.4:2379", "172.20.0.5:2379"]
+
+        cmd = xline_command_pb2.Command(
+            request=xline_command_pb2.RequestWithToken(
+                put_request=rpc_pb2.PutRequest(
+                    key=bytes("hello", encoding="utf8"),
+                    value=bytes("xline", encoding="utf8"),
+                )
+            ),
+            propose_id=f"client-{uuid.uuid4()}",
+        )
+
+        self.cmd = cmd
+        self.client = build_from_addrs(curp_members)
+
+    def test_fast_path(self):
+        """test fast path"""
+        res = self.client.propose(self.cmd, True)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(res)
+
+    def test_slow_path(self):
+        """test slow path"""
+        res = self.client.propose(self.cmd, False)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(res)