The Female Lead Marries the Second Male Lead, Completed, Historical Romance 女主嫁男二（完结）（古代言情）

1. 1 嫁 After She Married, the Mad Emperor Seized Her by Force 嫁人后，被疯批皇帝强取豪夺了 A Penguin Who Has to Write Every Day每天都要码字的企鹅Ancient Romance320k WordsCompleted [Coercive Possession + Later Revenge on the Scoundrels + Obsessive, Unhinged Hero + Groveling Chase + No Reconciliation + Second Male Lead Wins] Chu Huaiyu personally offered Lu Zhaoxue to the Crown Prince, using her as bait to frame Chu Siheng. After ascending the throne, Chu Huaiyu imprisoned Lu Zhaoxue deep in the palace, using his favor as a pair of shackles. Night after night, they were entangled in the palace. Biting her earlobe, Chu Huaiyu whispered, “Zhaoxue, do you hate me? Hate me if y 13kReads8.1Score609Shelves

   Reader note

   The male lead experiences a "wife-chasing-after-the-cremation" scenario, while the second male lead takes his place.

2. 2 你 You Take a Second Wife, I'll Climb the Wall: Four Young Men Await Me Outside 你娶平妻我爬墙，墙外四个少年郎 Mango Eats Potatoes芒果吃土豆Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Chaste male lead, unchaste female lead | Strong female lead] Her husband wants to take a second wife? First, she refuses to divorce him! First, make the princess kneel and serve tea to the concubine. Second, give her husband a taste of his own medicine. Third, dig a pit and wait for him to bury himself in it. The general's wife sleeps with the grand secretary and flirts with the guards. The commander watches, his teeth aching more and more. Wasn't she after his good looks? So why doesn't she m 5.4kReads8.7Score801Shelves
3. 3 大 The Imperial Consort of the Great Sheng Dynasty 大盛皇妃 Shu Yiyu书亦娱Ancient Romance1.4M WordsOngoing Ensemble cast + revenge + black lotus heroine + not both virgins + high-IQ palace intrigue rising to political power struggles + tragic romance + alternate history + love rivals The palace is the main battleground: beneath its dazzling, extravagant facade are witty, charming daily moments and a brutal core of deadly conflict. Palace secrets are portrayed in meticulous detail. Some content may be upsetting. A bad ending. If you enjoy it, please leave a five-star review. Ling Longxiu was born to a 684Reads—Score102Shelves

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   Completed, angst warning⚠️ Rating not yet available. Content depends on your tolerance; if you like angst, I'm waiting for a five-star review. A masterpiece of unconventional palace intrigue and power struggles. Detailed descriptions of palace secrets, plot twists that avoid clichés. Clear logic, humorous daily life, intense power struggles, the female lead is ridiculed upon entering the palace, and she seeks revenge through her own efforts—no cheat codes, no time travel, no rebirth. Navigating the treacherous and dark harem, the content may be disturbing; some readers may be driven away by the emotional intensity. Have you ever seen a palace intrigue novel where both men and women fight? A tragic portrayal of the ancient feudal system, showcasing the brutality of court struggles and the complexities of human nature.

4. 4 盼 Hoping She'll Become a Widow, the Mad Prince Curses His Brother to Die Every Night 盼她成寡，疯批王爷夜夜咒兄早死 Yu Yueyue余越越Ancient Romance817k WordsOngoing On her wedding night, Su Wanyi is tricked by her husband and loses her virtue to another man. Only then does she learn that her new husband loves someone else. The two of them have been sneaking around behind her back time and again. Su Wanyi endures it all. She only asks for somewhere to call home. Later, the adulterous woman points at her. “If she's dead, I'll marry you right away. We'll have the wedding ceremony.” Su Wanyi is rewarded with a bowl of poison. Her coffin is laid out in the hall 34.1kReads8.5Score3kShelves

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   [Cool][Cool]

5. 5 续 Four Years Without Sharing a Bed with His Second Wife, Then His Late Wife Returns and He Loves Her Again? 续弦四年不同房，亡妻复活你又爱了？ Young Master Qingcheng公子倾城Ancient Romance473k WordsCompleted [Clear-eyed heroine + second male lead takes the win] Shen Yan had been her husband’s second wife for four years when her late elder sister, the principal wife, came back from the dead. Her husband said, “You only married into this family in your sister’s place. You should know your place and ask to become a concubine!” Her mother-in-law said, “You’re just a daughter born to a concubine. You should be grateful you can be my son’s concubine.” The child she had cared for over the past four years s 14.7kReads8.2Score957Shelves

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   This is a great book. The female lead rises to power from humble beginnings, gradually climbing to the pinnacle of authority. The male lead has been plotting for a long time and adores the female lead. It's a story of power struggles within a wealthy family.

6. 6 深 Partridges Fly Through the Deep Mountains 深山鹧鸪飞 Helian Chengcheng赫连澄澄Ancient Romance146k WordsCompleted "A peerless beauty dwells alone in a deep valley. She calls herself a daughter of a respectable family, now fallen among weeds and trees..." Inspired by Du Fu’s poem "The Beauty," this story portrays kindhearted people helping one another through a chaotic age and expresses the shared resolve to resist their enemies and defend their homeland. It tells how lovers ultimately find their way to each other, while also reflecting the tragic fates of young women in that era and the true nature of human 83Reads—Score—Shelves

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   Set against the backdrop of the An Lushan Rebellion, the female protagonist is a well-bred young lady who is forced by her father to marry a man from a humble background. Later, after her father and brother die in battle, she is abandoned and can no longer support her husband, ending up in a valley where she encounters a wounded general. To survive amidst the war, they forge their own path in the wilderness, relying on others and becoming entangled in the stories of others, tenaciously surviving. Several female supporting characters, not rivals for the protagonist's affections, help each other during times of hardship.

7. 7 折 The Delicate Beauty’s Tears 折娇啼 Jing Mo旌墨Ancient Romance573k WordsCompleted [The hero regrets everything to the point of madness + the leads torment each other + a friend steals the heroine away + the second male lead gets the girl + no reconciliation after a breakup + pure historical angst + the heroine ends up with the second male lead] Shen Yanzhi, heir to the Marquis of Jinghai in the Great Chu Kingdom, had just come third in the palace examination when he was unexpectedly captured by the Eastern Qiang Kingdom and married off to Qin Guiwan, a woman of Eastern Qiang 8.2kReads9.3Score871Shelves

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   (Highly Recommended) Native American, not reincarnated, second male lead rises to power. The male lead is not wrong, and whether the female lead forgives him or not is irrelevant. On the contrary, the male lead is genuinely better than the second male lead; he has a resilient character, but he may have come to the mortal realm to undergo tribulations. He lost his lover, was abandoned, lost his family fortune, parents, and title, had a poisoned and mentally impaired younger brother, and a betraying grandmother—he was dealt a terrible hand. He was captured by the enemy country but managed to return home on his own. In every country, he was surrounded by wolves, and his only true friend, the second male lead, was incredibly unkind, stealing her boyfriend right under his nose. When the male lead died, he didn't want to be a citizen of his own country, nor did he want to be a member of the Shen family; he only wanted to be the female lead's husband. His tombstone name was the name bestowed upon him by the enemy country where he was captured. The female lead was a noblewoman from the enemy country, whom the Khan bestowed upon her to win him over. The male lead was worthy of everyone except the female lead.

8. 8 锦 The Zither's Unending Mystery 锦瑟无端 Cha Xiao Qi茶小七Ancient Romance150k WordsCompleted [Clear-headed, rational heroine × Devoted, possessive second male lead; SC; HE] [Power couple | Play the pig to eat the tiger | Marriage first, love later | Everyone gets their comeuppance] [The heroine is no angel, and she's good at striking back and stirring up trouble] [He enjoys mistreating his wife at first, then runs himself ragged chasing her later] My name is Jin Se. By imperial decree, I married the capital's most famous lovesick second male lead. He was devastatingly handsome and brill 1.5kReads9.0Score156Shelves

   Reader note

   The female lead is forced to marry the second male lead, but becomes a stepping stone. She then plots to disrupt the situation, creating a brilliant "marriage first, love later" scenario.

9. 9 落 After Falling on Hard Times, My Rough Childhood Betrothed Blushed 落难后，糙汉童养夫他红了脸 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊16k WordsCompleted After Falling on Hard Times, My Rugged Childhood Betrothed Blushed 302Reads—Score—Shelves

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   I was defeated and forced to marry a rough hunter who had been jilted before. I intended to remain chaste and keep my strange quirk a secret, but on our wedding night, golden words suddenly popped up before my eyes: "Silly child, your weakness is deadly to him! He has the blood of a phoenix, and your constitution is perfect to suppress it!" I believed the slander and boldly gave it a try. Later, when soldiers surrounded the village to search for the daughter of a disgraced official, I stood up from the cellar, my back aching—my husband, wiping the blood from his knife, turned and smiled at me.

10. 10 夫 The Madam’s Young Husband Has Come Calling 夫人的小老公已上门 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊27k WordsCompleted Madam's Little Young Husband Has Arrived 157Reads—Score—Shelves
11. 11 重 Reborn Noble Daughter, Refusing to Be My Brother-in-Law's Caged Bird 重生嫡女，拒做姐夫的笼中雀 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊Ancient Romance43k WordsCompleted Reborn as the Legitimate Daughter, I Refuse to Be My Brother-in-Law's Caged Bird 1.1kReads—Score—Shelves
12. 12 爬 After I Climbed into the Wrong Childhood Friend’s Bed 爬错竹马床后 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊16k WordsCompleted After I Climbed into the Wrong Childhood Friend's Bed 318Reads—Score—Shelves
13. 13 太 The Crown Prince Takes Her as His Consort 太子夺她为妃 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊16k WordsCompleted The Crown Prince Takes Her as His Consort 26Reads—Score—Shelves
14. 14 和 He Tucked the Divorce Agreement Into His Sleeve 和离书被他收进袖中 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊14k WordsCompleted He Tucked the Divorce Agreement into His Sleeve 116Reads—Score—Shelves
15. 15 休 Hand Over the Divorce Papers 休书拿来 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊Ancient Romance30k WordsCompleted Hand over the divorce papers. 74Reads—Score—Shelves
16. 16 逃 The Runaway Princess with Unmatched Strength 逃婚郡主，武力爆表 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊Marriage & Romance36k WordsCompleted The Runaway Princess Consort, Unmatched in Combat 84Reads—Score—Shelves
17. 17 替 The Ugly Stand-In Bride: General, Walk Right into My Trap 替嫁丑女：将军请入瓮 Mountain Traces山踪14k WordsCompleted The Ugly Substitute Bride: General, Step Into the Trap 25Reads—Score—Shelves

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    I am the most insignificant illegitimate daughter of the Shen family, with an unsightly birthmark on my face, and I've been mocked as an "ugly girl" since childhood. The Emperor was furious and issued an imperial decree bestowing a daughter of the Shen family upon the tyrannical and cruel General Zhenbei. My father, unwilling to let my elder sister suffer, made me marry in her place. I accepted. But on the way to my wedding, I was kidnapped by a masked man in black. I was terrified, but forced myself to curse him: "Shameless! Scoundrel!" He didn't stop, chuckling lightly: "Isn't it said that a woman follows her husband wherever he goes?"

18. 18 侯 My Lord, You Have the Wrong Person 侯爷，您认错人了 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊11k WordsCompleted My Lord, you've mistaken me for someone else. 123Reads—Score—Shelves
19. 19 将 The General's Sparrow in His Palm 将军掌中雀 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊11k WordsCompleted The General's Little Caged Bird 135Reads—Score—Shelves
20. 20 五 Five Years with a Contraceptive Ring, and He Knelt in the Ancestral Hall on the Day We Parted 五年避子环，和离当天他跪穿祠堂 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊Marriage & Romance15k WordsCompleted Five Years Wearing a Contraceptive Ring, He Knelt Until His Knees Bled in the Ancestral Hall on the Day We Parted 2.5kReads—Score—Shelves
21. 21 和 After the Mad Crown Prince Discovers the Divorce Agreement 和离书被疯批太子发现后 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊25k WordsCompleted After the Crazed Crown Prince Found the Divorce Agreement 444Reads—Score—Shelves
22. 22 皇 The Empress Is Reborn 皇后娘娘重生了 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊Ancient Romance33k WordsCompleted The Empress Has Been Reborn 317Reads—Score—Shelves
23. 23 他 He Made a Wish 他许了 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊Historical17k WordsCompleted He Made a Wish 1kReads—Score—Shelves
24. 24 新 The Groom Ran Away on Our Wedding Night 新婚夜，新郎跑了 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊14k WordsCompleted The Groom Ran Away on Our Wedding Night 88Reads—Score—Shelves
25. 25 大 On Our Wedding Night, the Bride Urged Me to Go After My Ex-Girlfriend 大婚之夜，新娘催我去追前女友 Ten Thousand Gu万蛊Historical10k WordsCompleted On Our Wedding Night, the Bride Told Me to Go After My Ex-Girlfriend 63Reads—Score—Shelves
26. 26 落 You Can't Bring Back a Runaway Bride 落跑娘子追不回 Author Tao Yaoyao作者逃妖夭Ancient Romance523k WordsCompleted I make my own fate, not heaven. She is no innocent little flower, no frail girl everyone can bully and trample on. If someone takes a swing at her or sets her up, she'll pay them back twice over. Su Wan, a merchant's daughter full of schemes, defies fate, plots her escape, and seeks refuge with one of the capital's most powerful families. Using their influence, she secures a good marriage prospect and gives her whole heart to her fiancé's family. But things don't go as planned. A spiteful woman 1.5kReads8.6Score101Shelves

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    Losing his beloved, he turned white-haired overnight. "In this life, I was the one who met her first, we were the one who fell in love first, how could I have lost her?" Bai Jingxuan hated himself, pounding his head in frustration. Thinking of the loving moments they shared in their past and present lives, the longing and pain of both lifetimes intertwined, flowing like a river. He was heartbroken, his heart aching so much he could hardly breathe. Unable to suppress the overwhelming grief, he wept uncontrollably, his sobs echoing through the courtyard. The once dignified and refined young master Bai, unable to bear the blow of losing his beloved, turned white-haired overnight. He trudged through the snow-covered courtyard towards the gate, his robes fluttering, his silver hair flying, the snow swirling around him, as if he had become one with the icy landscape, indistinguishable from it. After leaving the mansion, he headed directly towards the Prince of An'nan's residence, An'nan silently following not far away.

27. 27 涅 Reborn From the Ashes, I’ve Returned to Settle Every Score 涅槃重生归来有仇报仇有怨报怨 Author Tao Yaoyao作者逃妖夭Ancient Romance627k WordsCompleted “Reborn after returning from Nirvana, she settles every score and repays every grievance. A bond from a past life becomes a fate in this one.” Eight hundred years ago, she and he vowed to be husband and wife in their next life, promising to love each other for all eternity. Centuries passed, the world changed, and the past faded like smoke. Eight hundred years later, she was reborn, but fate had other plans. It was as if she'd been born into the wrong family. Her father showed her no affection, 3.3kReads8.6Score204Shelves
28. 28 妾 Your Delicate Concubine 妾身娇贵 You Zhi Yu尤知遇Ancient Romance598k WordsCompleted [Marriage First, Love Later + Political Intrigue + Feel-Good Revenge] Zhuang Wan always believed she would marry Prince Qin, the most talented man in the capital. They would be perfectly matched, and she would bear him children and build a happy life with him. But in a single night, the man she wanted to marry destroyed her family. After saving her, he gave her away to someone as a concubine. Huo Shixuan, son of Yangzhou’s richest man, was a troublemaker, a spoiled wastrel gone bad, and a hopele 2.1kReads9.1Score276Shelves
29. 29 二 Married Again, Falling Under Her Spell 二嫁，诱她沉沦 Chestnut, Chestnut, Chestnut, Chestnut栗子栗子栗栗子Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Both leads are virgins + He pursues her after losing her + Second male lead wins her heart + Traditional historical romance + Fictional setting + Characters and story are entirely fictional] The Xie family’s cousin, Liu Wen Yin, was a stunning beauty, but she was also a fool. Because her birth chart was considered too auspicious, she was promised as a concubine to Xie An when she came of age. Unhappy with his elders’ arrangement, Xie An got engaged to a woman from a prominent family and pushed 2.6kReads8.9Score273Shelves
30. 30 不 Wasn’t This an Arranged Marriage? Why Is Lord Pei So in Love with Me? 不是联姻吗？裴大人怎么这么爱 Deep-Fried Ice Cream油炸冰激凌Ancient Romance275k WordsCompleted Jiang Shiyuan spent ten years pursuing Shen Lüchu, only to receive four words on her eighteenth birthday: “You make me sick.” So Jiang Shiyuan, the girl who made Shen Lüchu sick, turned around and agreed to her family’s arranged marriage, preparing to marry into the Pei family. The Pei family was the most powerful clan in the capital, with influence that reached the heavens, far beyond what Jiang Shiyuan could aspire to. Fortunately, the family was full of talented men, but one grandson, Pei 50.7kReads9.1Score6.6kShelves
31. 31 缠 Entwined Pearl 缠明珠 Ren Huanyou任欢游Ancient Romance565k WordsCompleted [A seemingly sweet-faced, emotionally detached woman vs. a gloomy, love-starved, clingy human flytrap] Shen Yuanzhu, who loves money more than life itself, gives the only bit of sincerity she has to Xie Xuchuan, only for him to turn around and have a child with someone else. He says, “Yuanzhu, you can raise the child. He can have the family fortune. I’ll make it up to you in other ways.” Shen Yuanzhu thinks he’s lost his mind. Their marriage contract, bound by mutual interests, can’t be dissolve 41.9kReads8.5Score5.2kShelves
32. 32 嫤 The Years of Jinyu's Story 嫤语书年 Sea Green Takes the Swan海青拿天鹅Ancient Romance432k WordsCompleted The realm was in chaos, and enemy troops had reached the city walls. Fu Jin, a highborn woman whose entire clan had been wiped out, was forced to marry Wei Tan, the eldest son of a warlord at the height of his power. The world had turned upside down: the once princess-like darling of heaven was now an older bride marrying for the second time, while the obscure son of a minor official had become her husband, a warlord who looked down on all under heaven. Survival in turbulent times was hard, and 15.3kReads9.4Score1.9kShelves
33. 33 蝶 Butterflies Dance, Kites Soar, Pomegranates Bloom Red 蝶舞鸢飞石榴红 Water Leaves No Trace水不留痕Ancient Romance198k WordsCompleted The love story of Yun Die, heir to a silk-making family, and Shi Yuan, a young general. Yun Die’s merchant family becomes trapped in a carefully laid scheme. Shi Yuan, whom she once met briefly as a child, comes to their rescue, and so begins a passionate, winding love story full of twists and turns. There is sweetness and heartbreak, loyalty and betrayal, as love, family affection, and friendship intertwine in a battle between good and evil. I hope you enjoy it. 202Reads8.8Score—Shelves
34. 34 前 You Doted on Me in My Past Life, So Why Make Me Your Concubine in This One? 前世宠我入骨今生纳我为妾？ Author Tao Yaoyao作者逃妖夭Ancient Romance337k WordsCompleted Several hundred years later, she is reborn as a human. After more than a decade spent in a fog of madness, she returns to her own body with memories of her past life and searches among the masses for the lover she once cherished above all. But he wears a mask, consumed by a deep hatred and forced to bide his time as he seeks revenge. The lovers meet for the first time in this life, and one look spans a thousand years. She recognizes him, but he treats her as a pawn in a beauty trap. With the ene 1.1kReads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Losing his beloved from both past and present lives, he turned white-haired overnight. "In this life, I clearly met her first, we clearly fell in love first, how could I have lost her?" Bai Jingxuan hated himself, pounding his head in frustration. Thinking of the loving moments they shared in both lives, the longing and pain of those two lifetimes intertwined, flowing like a river. He was heartbroken, his heart aching so much he could hardly breathe. Unable to suppress the overwhelming grief, he wept uncontrollably, his sobs echoing through the courtyard. The once dignified and refined young master Bai, unable to bear the blow of losing his beloved, turned white-haired overnight. He trudged through the snow-covered courtyard towards the gate, his robes fluttering, his silver hair flying, the snow swirling around him, as if he had become one with the icy landscape, indistinguishable from it. He left the mansion and headed directly towards the Prince of An'nan's residence, An'nan silently following not far away.

35. 35 外 The Outer Wife 外室之妻 Every Inch Is Gold寸寸金Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted Gu Zheng was at her wit’s end with the way her stepmother kept causing trouble. Even though the man looked down on her, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and marry him. She thought she was destined to be a supporting female character in this world, so she lived by the rules and knew her place. Then, in the blink of an eye, her husband turned out to be the Duke’s illegitimate son! He was about to be acknowledged by the family and become the young duke, but the ducal household looked down on 1.1kReads9.0Score361Shelves

    Reader note

    This beautiful female lead is very clear-headed.

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