Looking for Court Intrigue with Characters Who Actually Have Brains 想找那种宫斗的，智商在线的，

1. 1 宫 The Willow by the Palace Wall 宫墙柳 Dream Doll梦娃Ancient Romance166k WordsCompleted Why must the imperial consorts compete for the emperor’s favor? A smash-hit, heart-wrenching historical romance that burst onto the scene in 2019! Recommended by countless tearful readers, this unconventional palace-intrigue novel will stay with you long after you finish. In the lightest of styles, it captures everyone’s deepest regrets. In May of the year I turned fourteen, with the pagoda trees in fragrant bloom, I sat in Yong’an Palace, propping up my head as I dozed. The man’s laughter held 48.6kReads9.7Score7.1k14d adds

   Reader note

   The first book was amazing; it made me cry several times. The second book was also good.

2. 2 后 A Cheat-Code Life in the Imperial Harem 后宫开挂人生 The Silent Instant Noodles沉默的方便面Ancient Romance584k WordsCompleted In the novel, she is the Empress Dowager’s niece and the emperor’s highest-ranking Consort Shu, with a noble status and boundless favor. Yet in the end, she cannot escape the fate of a minor cannon-fodder character, and dies with hatred in her heart! Qian Qing from another world takes her place and carefully plots every step, winning the emperor’s love and matching wits with the novel’s heroine. She wants to see whether a mere illegitimate daughter of a marquis’s household can still rise to the 1.8kReads7.6Score10914d adds
3. 3 太 The Crown Prince’s One and Only: The Bewitching Consort Captures His Heart and Claims Her Place 太子独宠，尤物娘娘缚心上位 YQ Lazy Little CatYQ小懒猫Ancient Romance736k WordsOngoing [Unhinged, Ruthless Heroine + Cold, Scheming, Obsessive Crown Prince + Palace Intrigue] [Before the heroine entered the palace, the hero already had wives and concubines, but the emperor had forced them on him for political reasons. He only went through the motions with them, and their relationships were in name only.] [Readers who mind this should proceed with caution] She was the legitimate daughter of the Luo family, breathtakingly beautiful. But when her father demoted her mother to a concub 2.4kReads—Score17014d adds

   Reader note

   I've read this one multiple times: ① A palace intrigue thriller where the female lead enters the Eastern Palace through the imperial concubine selection. She's unassuming, adept at feigning weakness, but actually highly skilled. She tests the Crown Prince, who dotes on her, and she's a master of strategic maneuvering. The plot is fast-paced and very enjoyable to read. ② A palace intrigue + rebirth story where the female lead mistakenly trusts her sister in her previous life, breaks with the male lead, and dies tragically. She's reborn, actively pursues the male lead to resolve misunderstandings, and after reconciliation, they join forces in the palace intrigue!

4. 4 重 Reborn, the Empress Wants Love, Not Power 重生归来，女帝她不要权势要爱情 YQ Lazy Little CatYQ小懒猫Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted [Reborn + a desperate pursuit to win back her husband + both leads are sexually pure + palace intrigue] [Dear readers, if you like rebirth stories and female-led novels, come take a look!] Donglan is a country where women hold power. Empress Dongfang Qingyan has three daughters: Dongfang Yue, Dongfang Ning, and Dongfang Zhi. In her previous life, Dongfang Ning put power above all else. After her elder sister died of illness, she devoted herself to claiming the throne. To achieve that goal, she t 257Reads—Score—14d adds
5. 5 卿 Qing Chen's Scheme 卿宸谋 Southward, Where the Shepherd's Flute Plays南有牧笛笙Ancient Romance516k WordsCompleted [Not a virginal romance, not a wish-fulfillment story. Read with caution! A story that could loosely be called an ancient Cinderella tale] [Traditional Historical Palace Intrigue]+ [Rich Plot]+ [A Mix of Sweetness and Heartbreak]+ [Slow-Burning Happy Ending] Autumn, Year Seventeen of the Nanyan era. The late emperor passed away, and his eleventh son, Xiao Yuning, ascended the throne, ushering in the Minghe era. In the third year of Minghe, the court decreed that officials of the fourth rank and 1.1kReads8.9Score13214d adds

   Reader note

   This is a palace intrigue novel, not featuring a clean break story. The female protagonist enters the palace through a selection process, starting with a low rank and gradually rising through the ranks. She is clear-headed and not driven by romance; initially, she only wants to survive, but after assessing the situation, she becomes serious about palace intrigue.

6. 6 宫 Palace Beauty 宫姝 Clear Summer Xixi清夏兮兮Ancient Romance631k WordsCompleted She dared not love too deeply, afraid it would all turn out to be nothing but a dream. She thought that once she entered the imperial palace, she would be like the other consorts, scheming every day to win the emperor's favor; She thought that once she entered the imperial palace, she would be like the other consorts, with invisible blood staining her hands; She thought that once she entered the imperial palace, she would be like the other consorts. In the end, it was only what she had imagined. 8.3kReads9.2Score95314d adds

   Reader note

   The female lead is definitely intelligent.

7. 7 谢 Empress of the Xie Family 谢家皇后 Song of the Yue People越人歌Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted In her first year in the palace, she is a Talented Lady. In her fifth, she is a Jieyu. In her tenth, she wants to become empress. As empress, she can hold on to everything she treasures and keep it from being taken away. She can protect herself and her child, and she can... stay by his side. This is a road with only one direction: take a single step back, and all will be lost. The bright yellow ceremonial parasol moves forward, and the emperor's procession slowly enters the city gate. A yellow p 8.8kReads9.2Score1.1k14d adds

   Reader note

   I think this one is alright.

8. 8 智 Wise Men Avoid Love, and the Noble Consort Wants No Responsibility 智者不入爱河，贵妃不想负责 Uncle Luo洛叔叔Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Being a beggar would be better than being in the harem. Shen Qing is despairing over her current identity. The female lead won't appear for another two years, and Shen Qing is the lowest-ranking consort in the male lead's harem. Her father is useless, and she has neither money nor power. It seems her only option is to wait for the emperor's favor. To make matters worse, she has a face that attracts trouble. If she fights for influence, she has no leverage; if she doesn't, she'll just get bullied 47.7kReads9.5Score6.1k14d adds

   Reader note

   If we share the snow today, we can consider ourselves to have grown old together in this life.

9. 9 在 A Hundred Ways to Win the Emperor's Heart in the Harem 在后宫征服皇帝的一百个技巧 Cai Wangwang菜汪汪Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Ever since entering the palace, Yun Li has become a shameless schemer. Two-faced and insincere, she puts on an act every day. When dealing with the emperor’s favorite consort, she tears into her until she’s furious, then clutches her chest with a wounded look and says, “I’m so envious that His Majesty dotes on you.” When someone tries to frame her, she casually slaps them, then bursts into tears. “Why would you treat a kind person like me this way?” When speaking with the empress, she nods absen 12.3kReads9.5Score1.4k14d adds
10. 10 不 Oh No, Fourth Master from Empresses in the Palace Has Transmigrated 不得了，甄嬛传四大爷穿越了 The Master and the Master's Husband夫子和夫子夫Female-Channel Fanfiction1.1M WordsCompleted [System] [Transmigration] [Empresses in the Palace] [True Harem] Ye Shu has watched Empresses in the Palace countless times, and her greatest pleasure is reading the live comments. Without them, the show just isn't as fun. As usual, Ye Shu turned on the live comments, only to spot an amusing one: “If the emperor could be reborn, what would he do?” Ye Shu chimed in, “Guard against fire, thieves, and getting cheated on. Hahaha.” Ding! Congratulations, you've been granted the chance to transmigrate 567Reads5.5Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The first book could practically be considered a masterpiece.

11. 11 重 Reborn in The Story of Ruyi: Life Is Better Without Being a Saint 重生如懿传不做圣母的日子好极了 The Master and the Master's Husband夫子和夫子夫Female-Channel Fanfiction1.0M WordsCompleted 1. Palace-intrigue novel, palace-intrigue novel, palace-intrigue novel. No romance. 2. No lovestruck fools, no lovestruck fools, no lovestruck fools. This applies only to certain characters. No saintly do-gooders, no saintly do-gooders. 3. A Ruyi reborn story. No plagiarism, no padding, quality comes first. There will be changes. It may not fully follow history, or it may not follow it at all. The reason: no plagiarism. Synopsis The Ruyi from "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace", who always conside 225Reads7.2Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Here it comes, Ruyi's Rebirth

12. 12 惜 Cherished Love 惜宠 Xiao Qing Shang萧清商Ancient Romance347k WordsCompleted [Devoted-husband romance + palace intrigue] A sickly, calculating, devastatingly handsome emperor × a resourceful, formidable empress ‖ The heroine battles the Grand Empress Dowager, not the consorts. The hero is genuinely obsessive, and he truly dotes on her. Outmaneuvering Nanny Zhang, getting rid of Lady Zhou, cleverly catching Ajiu, solving three difficult puzzles, foiling the lily-of-the-valley plot, and countering the Grand Empress Dowager’s successive schemes… Deep within the palace, turm 14Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Palace intrigue, both the male and female leads are intelligent.

13. 13 天 The Heaven-Blessed Noble Lady 天命贵女 First Snow on the Roses蔷薇初雪Ancient Romance797k WordsCompleted In her previous life, she entered the palace in splendor as the Princess Consort of Prince Liang. She helped her husband seize the throne, rising to glory step by step. For seven years, they shared life and death, supporting each other through countless trials. Little did she know that she was paving the road to her own death with her own hands. On the day their ambitions were fulfilled, her own younger sister donned the phoenix robes and delivered a cruel verdict: “Zhan Huanyan, I kept you aliv 162Reads8.7Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    I think these three books are good! The first one, one conspiracy after another. The second one is a very novel suspenseful rebirth romance novel. Thirdly, the complexity of love can catch you off guard.

14. 14 重 Reborn to Scheme for a Flourishing Era 重生之盛世妃谋 Clouds Gather, Thirsting for Rain积云渴雨Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted To preserve her family's honor, she is sent into the palace to help her aunt, the favored consort, win the emperor's favor and seize power, and to put her own cousin on the throne. Who could have guessed that he would turn around and marry her cousin as his empress? After exhausting every scheme, she ends up losing her closest kin to a tragic death. Then, amid a great fire, she returns to the days before she entered the palace. Lou Huayu gazes at the enemies from her past life, lowers her head, 320Reads8.3Score10914d adds
15. 15 有 There’s a Kind of Harem Called Consort De 有种后宫叫德妃 A Suo阿琐Ancient Romance3.1M WordsCompleted All Wu Yalanqi wants in this life is to be a good palace maid. To become one, she's even willing to risk her life and trick the emperor. Certain she's doomed, she opens her eyes and finds herself lying on the imperial bed... Everyone thinks she's nothing but a pawn the emperor is using to spite his new empress and the court officials after the death of his beloved first wife. But Xuanye cherishes this pawn in the palm of his hand, and keeps her there for a lifetime. 2.3kReads9.0Score23914d adds
16. 16 靠EN Dominating the Harem by Bearing Children 靠生子称霸后宫 Wang Ziyun王梓芸Ancient Romance782k WordsCompleted In her previous life, Huameng's childhood sweetheart, the boy next door, betrayed her before their wedding. After watching him marry the daughter of a princess, she put on the bright red wedding dress she had spent two years embroidering and hanged herself. But her soul drifted through the world for twenty years after her death before she learned the truth: her childhood sweetheart had broken off their engagement after accidentally hearing that the childless emperor intended to adopt the princes 3.8kReads9.0Score49114d adds

    Reader note

    There are still several books I haven't added to my bookshelf. Ugh, I really want to find some palace intrigue novels. Waaaaah 🥺

17. 17 宫 Joy in the Palace: The Noble Consort Can Read Minds 宫中有喜：贵妃她有读心术 Qin Chu秦楚Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Gu Mianmian has a fiery temper and is not to be trifled with. She meets strength with strength, and after transmigrating into the imperial harem, she has mind-reading powers and no trouble fighting her way up. Only as he lay dying did Emperor Rong Xuan realize how ridiculous his life had been. The empress dowager, who had always shown him loving concern, could not wait for him to die so her own son could take his place. She had even personally fed him poison when he was little. And the women in 926Reads9.0Score10314d adds
18. 18 春 Spring Banquet 春日宴 Egrets in Pairs白鹭成双Ancient Romance664k WordsCompleted She kept male favorites and toyed with powerful ministers! For eight years, the arrogant and tyrannical Princess Danyang, Li Huaiyu, wreaked havoc across the court and country. She died on the day the new emperor ascended the throne, bleeding from every orifice in a truly gruesome death. The officials celebrated and the people rejoiced: Evil gets what it deserves! Good riddance! Yet on the seventh day after her death, Princess Danyang returned to life in the body of the Bai family’s Fourth Mis 13.6kReads9.4Score2.3k14d adds
19. 19 宫 A Palace Maid’s Daily Struggles 宫女奋斗日常 Phantom Beneath the Moon月下幻影Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Ling Huan has skin as smooth as ice and looks like a goddess, yet she has no interest in power and thinks only of leaving the palace. In the end, neither she nor her child meets a good end. Given another chance, her goal is to raise her child well and become Empress Dowager herself. A palace-intrigue story with a strong female lead. The heroine is ruthless and clever. A thoroughly satisfying read. 5.9kReads9.2Score84614d adds
20. 20 将 The General's Legitimate Daughter: The Hot-Tempered Consort Is Not to Be Trifled With 将门嫡女：暴脾气贵妃不好惹 Lu Yueerwu陆月二五Ancient Romance936k WordsCompleted [Devoted Love in the Later Story + Adorable Baby + Powerful Hero and Heroine + Beloved Legitimate Daughter] [Hopelessly Devoted Foolish Emperor + Clear-Headed, Self-Controlled, Clever Noble Consort] Once you enter the palace, it’s as deep as the sea. Yu Jinghe is the most clear-eyed woman in the world. Noble Consort Yue, the most stylish woman in the harem, wins the emperor’s favor all to herself with her fiery temper. Sharp-tongued and quick to throw a punch, she’s practically the harem’s gangs 3.4kReads9.2Score32014d adds
21. 21 华 Consort Hua Reincarnates as Gua Liu 华妃娘娘她魂穿瓜六了 The Master and the Master's Husband夫子和夫子夫Female-Channel Fanfiction606k WordsCompleted Consort Hua, Nian Shilan, was a woman loved by Emperor Yongzheng. The daughter of a powerful official, she lost her child while still young because the emperor feared her family's influence. For decades, the man she loved most had her drink the incense-scented medicine known as Joyful Harmony, damaging her health and leaving her barren for life. Even so, in the end, she was condemned as having grown too powerful, and in a single night, every member of the Nian family was killed. Her soul is rebo 60Reads5.3Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Consort Hua's soul transmigrates into a melon, scheming step by step, disliking every palace intrigue where everyone is intelligent.

22. 22 妾 I Am the Consort 妾为后 There's a Cat on the Left Road左路有喵Ancient Romance713k WordsCompleted Wu Xiaoyan was not beautiful. For a woman, she was far too tall, and her skin was too dark. She was stronger than a man and ate more than one, too. As she grew older, all she wanted was to marry an ordinary man and live an ordinary life. But this little wolf cub she had raised... really was a little wolf cub!! 2kReads9.0Score19114d adds

    Reader note

    I recommend these three books 1. The journey of escaping and wandering ahead was too bitter and too cruel. 2. If you like sweet stories, you can watch without worry! 3. Two hearts were drawn tightly together.

23. 23 谋 Scheming for the Heir 谋嫡 Master Hua花爷Ancient Romance403k WordsCompleted From being a pawn sent by her elder half-sister to the Third Prince's residence to climbing over a mountain of blood and claiming the empress's throne, Lin Wanying did just one thing: she kept Zhao Xuan firmly by her side. 3.1kReads9.1Score58214d adds
24. 24 瑜 The True Story of Yu 瑜真传 Ling Zhuzi灵竹子Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted Yuzhen, an unsuccessful palace candidate, is granted by the Qianlong Emperor as a bride to his brother-in-law, the ninth young master of the Fucha clan, Fuheng. But Fuheng already has someone in his heart, resulting in the awkward situation of his wife and concubine entering the household on the same day. Yuzhen is the granddaughter of the great literary master Nalan Rongruo and is hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Qing dynasty. Yet fate plays a cruel joke on her, separating her from th 24Reads8.8Score—14d adds
25. 25 绝 The Untouchable Princess’s Feast 绝妃膳类 Yi Luo一落Ancient Romance780k WordsCompleted No zuo no die: The Gu family's Fourth Miss finally got herself killed after making trouble at every turn, but in doing so, she drastically changed Gu Huaqing's tragic fate! As the daughter of a wealthy official, she absolutely couldn't let Heaven down. Her motto was to live freely and happily, and her top rule was to stay out of conflict! So why were there always so many admirers around her? Heaven above, earth below, please make these rotten peach blossoms go away!!! 580Reads8.9Score10014d adds

    Reader note

    Book 1: Some parts seem to borrow from The Legend of Zhen Huan. Book 2: It's written about the strengths, weaknesses, and helplessness of a time-traveling woman. Book 3: Decisive and ruthless at times, yet indecisive and inexplicably soft-hearted at others.

26. 26 锦 A Beauty Adorned with Brocade 锦上娇 Yuan Xi垣溪Ancient Romance825k WordsCompleted The mighty General Dingbei commanded three armies at just twenty and made a name for himself on the battlefield. His enemies were so terrified of him that they kept their distance. Now that he’s married, he often leaves the house with scratch marks on his face and a rueful look. Everyone is stunned, but the general isn’t ashamed. He’s proud of it, declaring, “My wife is adorable no matter what she does. What do you know? You’re nothing...” 841Reads8.2Score10014d adds
27. 27 中 The Central Palace 中宫 A Suo阿琐Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted “You are a gift from Qiu Zhenyu to the throne, offered in exchange for his head. Did your father not tell you that you must obey me?” With a light flick of the jade-handled fan in his hand, Xiang Ye removed the empress’s phoenix robe. “Grandmother said the daughters of the Qiu family don’t need to obey.” Min’er looked up at the king who had come drenched in blood, not the slightest bit afraid. On their wedding night, the emperor slept in another woman’s arms. Yet his neglect, humiliation, and bu 2.7kReads8.8Score36614d adds

    Reader note

    I think these four books are good! First, live with clarity, for yourself, not for worldly matters. Secondly, modern thought was almost an anomaly in ancient times. Thirdly, I still couldn't help but cry at the end. Fourth, not naive or indecisive, but exceptionally rational and intelligent.

28. 28 盛 A Peaceful and Prosperous Age 盛世安稳 Luo Yu Qiu Han落雨秋寒Ancient Romance500k WordsCompleted In her previous life, Xie Yixin had been blind. Ignoring everyone’s warnings, she married Zhu Congyu, the heir to a marquis’s household. She thought he was a cold-faced man with a warm heart, but for the sake of the woman he loved, he disregarded the lives of their children. Only when news arrived that her family had been condemned and wiped out did she finally understand how foolishly she had lived. Her family was destroyed, her children were gone… She had so much hatred and resentment… If she 7.7kReads9.1Score64514d adds
29. 29 深 Palace Intrigue: The Story of Qing Zhi 深宫策·青栀传 Qing Zhi Wei Bai青栀未白Ancient Romance882k WordsCompleted Her eyes can see through sinister tricks and schemes, but she cannot fully see the changes in people's hearts. His hands hold the fate of all under heaven, yet all he wants is to hold on to the few who truly care for him. How far is it from being the daughter of a powerful official distrusted by the emperor to becoming a virtuous empress remembered throughout history? Once she enters the imperial palace, her past ties are severed. Half a lifetime of ups and downs conceals the green of the garden 1.9kReads9.2Score29514d adds

Other lists with The Willow by the Palace Wall