Looking for Clever, Scheming Female Leads Like Lü Songli and Lin Zhihuang 求吕颂梨、林知皇之类的足智多谋大女主文

1. 51 雪 Spring Brewed in Snow 雪酿春 Jiang Chengyu C江承钰C44k WordsCompleted Snow-Brewed Spring 325Reads—Score—Shelves
2. 52 天 Sky Screen: So, Unifying the Realm Means Unifying the Entire World? 天幕：合着大一统是统一全球啊 Hardworking Little Bug, the Typing Machine勤劳的码字机器小虫Ancient Romance502k WordsCompleted (Completed) (New novel, The Tycoon: Just Call Me the Savior, updating daily) [No CP + nation-building + transmigration + empress + mindless wish fulfillment (no nitpicking over historical details) + sky screen] (The heroine's mother isn't dead, so there's no issue of her ignoring her mother's murder. People kept criticizing this, so I'm clarifying it in the blurb.) Zhao Fu Zhou transmigrated into the Qin dynasty, becoming an orphan girl raised by Uncle Ma. She'd always known Uncle Ma had an unus 12.9kReads8.8Score1.7kShelves
3. 53 废 On the Day the Empress Was Deposed, Eighty Thousand Secret Guards Knelt and Begged Her to Return 废后当天，八万暗卫跪请归位 Wild Donkey Tribe野驴部落Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Palace intrigue + household scheming + deposed empress + satisfying revenge + corruption + madman + power plays + intense push and pull] In her previous life, Li Qingcheng gave up everything for love. She disbanded the world's greatest intelligence network, the Tianji Pavilion, which she had built herself and which was powerful enough to topple the imperial throne. Then, as the Chancellor's legitimate daughter, she married Xiao Yexuan, an overlooked prince. For ten years, she schemed on his beh 2.1kReads6.6Score465Shelves
4. 54 本 I'm a Fake Official, Yet I've Won the Crown Prince's Heart 本官是假货，却哄得太子倾心了 Wen Lang文朤Ancient Romance293k WordsOngoing [Transmigration and nation-building | Woman disguised as a man | Court intrigue | Farming and famine relief | Feel-good rise to power] Li Yanhe takes over another person's identity and becomes magistrate of Pingwu County. Disaster is everywhere, refugees are on the move, and the treasury is empty... At the grand court assembly, officials from every prefecture report disasters, leaving the entire court at its wit's end. One report from the Commissioner of Administration sends shock waves through 5.7kReads6.5Score626Shelves

   Reader note

   The female lead is amazing! All I can say is that she's domineering, resourceful, and can do everything.

5. 55 明 Marry Me Beneath the Bright Moon 明月嫁卿卿 Rabbit Purple Moonrise兔紫月上Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Song Chuyu thought she and Kang Rui were deeply in love, and that no one could ever come between them. Yet that person had been living by their side all along, pampered under the title of “sister-in-law.” After being reborn, Song Chuyu didn’t spare Kang Rui a glance as he rode through the streets in triumph, and she certainly wouldn’t marry him again. * When Kang Rui woke up to find himself back in the impoverished days of his youth, he struggled to get used to the drafty windows after having li 87.9kReads9.3Score11.3kShelves

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   If you love intelligent and resourceful female protagonists, this is a must-read! The female lead's intelligence is consistently high throughout the story. She's meticulous, strategic, calm, decisive, courageous, and resourceful—comparable to top-tier female leads like Lu Songli and Lin Zhihuang. She's not love-struck, resentful, or a saint. Tearing apart scumbag boyfriends is incredibly satisfying. Political intrigue and satisfying moments go hand in hand. Fans of female protagonists with strong, intelligent characters should skip this!

6. 56 天 The Sky Screen Reveals My Loyal Bones, and the Court Begs Me to Return to Life 天幕揭我忠烈骨，满朝跪求我复活 YingYing YingYingYing滢Ancient Romance512k WordsOngoing I, Qin Yun, have been dead for ten years. The grass on my grave is already three meters tall. Who would have thought a sky screen would suddenly appear and expose everything about me? The whole country watched me disguise myself as a man and enlist in my brother's place. The emperor and every official at court were left speechless. The old ministers who once cursed me as a "demon empress who brought ruin to the country" now cling to my memorial tablet and sob like two-hundred-pound children. And 314Reads—Score—Shelves

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   Political intrigue novel, female protagonist is resourceful and intelligent

7. 57 惜 Cherishing Flowers 惜花芷 Kong Liu空留Ancient Romance1.5M WordsCompleted [The original novel behind the TV adaptation starring Hu Yitian and Zhang Jingyi] After keeping her talents hidden for fifteen years, Hua Zhi thought she could spend her life as a proper aristocratic young lady, living in peace. But when the Hua family’s fortunes collapse, she has no choice but to reveal her sharp edge and hold the storm-tossed household together. Being out in public becomes the norm, and so does galloping through the streets. When all else fails, she even carries a coffin on he 18.6kReads9.6Score4.2kShelves
8. 58 重 Reborn, I Turn My Fate Around with the System of Noncontention 重生归来，我凭不争系统扭转死局 Wen Qiheng温栖珩Ancient Romance114k WordsOngoing Reborn on the eve of the palace banquet, Su Wanyuan's fingertips brushed against the secret drug hidden in the lining of her gown. In her previous life, she was tricked into making a scene, lost her reputation, and saw her entire family executed. This time, she stayed calm, waiting to tear away her half-sister's gentle facade in front of everyone at the banquet. Before the trouble had even settled, a wooden token etched with a whirlpool pattern led her to a decades-old secret plot involving a 15Reads—Score—Shelves

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   Resourceful and intelligent, a female protagonist novel

9. 59 我 I Saved the Entire Sect by Giving Up 我靠摆烂拯救了全宗门 The Princess Isn't Going Home公主不回家Ancient Romance1.9M WordsCompleted (The second physical volume is out) Ye Qiao woke up one day to find she had become the second senior sister, a tool character in a novel about a girl adored by everyone. In the novel, whenever the junior sister was in trouble, the second senior sister stepped in. If the junior sister wanted a divine artifact, the second senior sister fetched it. If the junior sister lacked a spiritual root, hers had to be dug out. Ye Qiao was at her breaking point. She fled the mountain in the middle of the nigh 217.1kReads9.6Score24.4kShelves
10. 60 古 An Ancient Road Trip: Meeting All Kinds of Transmigrators 古代公路文：遇见各种穿越者 Youyou Doesn't Eat Spicy Food柚柚不吃辣Ancient Romance569k WordsCompleted [Romance + wild imagination + xuanhuan] A great many people transmigrated into the ancient world, terrifying the imperial court, which launched operations to lure them out, track them down, and hunt them down. Yu Yang had been here for twelve years. By all rights, she should have been dead by now. But after fainting one day, she suddenly gained the ability to see transmigrators through the Taiyin Black Ledger, and people blessed with fortune through signs of good and bad luck. She even learned h 3.1kReads9.4Score489Shelves

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    [CP included + imaginative + fantasy] A large number of time travelers have appeared in an ancient world, alarming the imperial court, which has launched a campaign to lure, search for, and kill them. Yu, who has been in this world for twelve years, should be dead by now. However, after a fainting spell, she suddenly gains the ability to see the time travelers (the Taiyin Black Book) and those with destiny (good and bad fortune). The female lead is incredibly intelligent.

11. 61 从 Starting from Scratch in a Primitive Tribe 从零开始穿越原始部落 The Cannon Fodder Has No Memories炮灰没有回忆Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Note: A versatile, strong heroine with extensive knowledge and practical skills + no romance + early story focused on building up a primitive tribe. When Han Zhi wakes up, she finds herself in a primitive matriarchal society. She eats sour, bitter wild fruit, drinks icy stream water, and lives in a dark, damp cave. She doesn't even have clothes to cover herself! Han Zhi weeps into the wind. “Is this any way for a person to live?” Other people transmigrate with pocket dimensions or Systems, s 56.1kReads8.9Score5.7kShelves

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    I haven't read Lü Songli, but I read a few hundred chapters of Lin, though I felt the writing was a bit awkward and often gave me goosebumps, so I dropped it. To each their own; here are a few of my personal favorites. The first one is about transmigrating from a wasteland to a famine-stricken era. I liked that it didn't have any inexplicable rapid development, but rather it addressed problems from a grassroots perspective. The beginning might be a bit simplistic, but it's quite good as you read on. The second one is about a modern-day medical student who transmigrates to ancient times and becomes a refugee. The system changes from a medical system to an empress system, which I really enjoyed. The third one is about transmigrating to a primitive world. I don't know if this one is what the poster is looking for—an all-knowing great shaman leading the tribe to prosperity. The fourth one I haven't read in a while, so I don't remember it very well. It's about becoming a princess of a fallen kingdom, secretly developing a remote town.

12. 62 惊 Shock! Reborn on the Eve of My Family's Execution, I Say Let's Rebel 惊！重生回满门抄斩前夜，造反吧 Yi Yangcheng衣漾澄Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Rebirth + feel-good story with a powerful heroine + family and country + political intrigue] A cool-headed, cunning heroine who plans several moves ahead + a brilliant, devoted yet restrained male lead who serves as a high-ranking official at the Court of Judicial Review In her previous life, the entire Ning family, loyal to the throne for generations, was slaughtered. To avenge them, Ning Zhiwei led an army of a hundred thousand to marry Su Mingjin, helping him with all her might as he rebelle 27.5kReads9.3Score3.3kShelves

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    A classic trope of rebirth, revenge, and establishing herself as empress. The female protagonist, Ning Zhiwei, demonstrates top-tier political wisdom at every step, from protecting her family to scheming for the world, especially excelling at "using the enemy's tactics to defeat the enemy." The most exciting part is watching how she turns the machinations of her scumbag half-sister into a stepping stone to her ascension to the throne.

13. 63 爹 Dad! Please Stop Rising in Rank. Our Family Really Are Treacherous Officials! 爹！求你别升了，咱家真是奸臣！ Yang Xueling杨雪凌Ancient Romance1.9M WordsOngoing Xu Qinghuan transmigrates into a book and becomes the only daughter of Xu Youde, the most corrupt official in all of Great Qian. Looking at the room full of gold and jewels, she doesn’t smile. She knows the entire Xu family will be executed in three years, and she’ll be hung on the city wall as a public warning. Luckily, she binds herself to the “Heartless Riches System.” If she can amass a hundred billion through ruthless profiteering and ruin her reputation, she can take ten billion in retirem 31.5kReads9.0Score6.8kShelves

    Reader note

    The story starts off more like everyday life, but later escalates to political intrigue. The female lead is very intelligent, and it's reasonable to suspect that her initial demeanor was all an act.

14. 64 风 The Rise of Lingbiao: Su Sanniang with the Big Feet 风起岭表之大脚苏三娘 Dust Watching from East Mountain东山望之尘Historical116k WordsOngoing Su Sanniang, a woman whose name is steeped in blood and fire! Jianghu rumors say her blade is fiercer than any man's, and her beauty more womanly than any woman's... Her first love, Feng Shao, was killed by a bandit chief. Sanniang sent out her flying knives and slew twelve bandits, then poured a jar of wine in tribute to her first love: "My darling, have a good time down there. Eat well, keep warm, and remember to find yourself a beautiful wife. I'm off to seek my fortune..." Su San was lured t 159Reads—Score—Shelves

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    Absolutely stunning.

15. 65 错 After a Mistaken Marriage to the Heir, She Spends Every Day Showering Him with Sweets 错嫁世子后，她每天都在撒糖 Strawberry Xi草莓汐Ancient Romance370k WordsCompleted [Reborn + mutually devoted sweet romance + revenge and household intrigue] Jiang Rong was deceived her entire life, and only learned the truth when she was on the verge of death. Returned to ten years earlier, she found herself fleeing an arranged marriage to elope. Jiang Rong gave the scoundrel a thorough beating, then turned around and went back to the prince’s manor to marry. The husband she had run from was Xie Lingxi, heir to the Northern Prince. In her previous life, he had protected he 35.7kReads9.5Score4.6kShelves

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    The female lead is reborn. The male lead died saving her in his previous life. In this life, the female lead is very affectionate towards the male lead, who initially thinks she's "possessed by the Yellow Springs" and is acting strangely. The two are still quite sweet together, though the female lead is also cunning and manipulative, playing a game of wits where you know the truth but are powerless to stop it. The supporting characters are also very well-developed.

16. 66 双 A Blood-Soaked Reckoning: Twin Sisters Return for Vengeance 【血色满门】双生姐妹踏血归来 Xiao Xiao Ran Zi萧萧然子Ancient Romance601k WordsOngoing An entire family of loyal officials is framed, and a century-old marquis’s estate is turned into a living hell. Twin sisters plunge from a cliff into the water, surviving against all odds. Once cherished young ladies who lived behind closed doors, they now tread a thorny path through the world. One struggles to survive on a sheer cliff, honing her edge; the other wanders in a foreign land, maneuvering at every turn. The court is rife with deceit and schemes, while the martial world flashes with 1.9kReads6.6Score209Shelves

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    I've unearthed an amazing historical romance novel! "[Bloodstained Gate] The Twin Sisters Return Amidst Bloodshed"—just the title tells you it's a high-octane revenge thriller. The twin sister premise is incredibly captivating; both are cunning and shrewd, constantly battling wits and outmaneuvering each other, testing their intelligence. The author's writing is solid, the plot is mind-bending, and the clash of titans is exhilarating. With two clean-cut characters and stunningly beautiful visuals, it's currently still ongoing, but you can already feel the impact of their bloody return. If you're looking for something to read, grab this now!

17. 67 都 Kill Them All. There's No Need to Act Normal 都杀了，做人没必要太正常 The Round-Headed, Round-Brained, Round-Bellied Tangerine圆头圆脑圆肚皮的橘子Ancient Romance339k WordsCompleted [Now being published; a motion comic is out. The heroine is invincible, no romance, no nation-building, plot-focused, with male characters who may die.] Guan Zhiwei is forced to transmigrate. Countless Systems bind themselves to her, promising to send her home once she completes their missions. They all turn out to be liars. Our unlucky heroine decides to take down this world. Starting with killing the male lead. As she takes out one romantic male lead after another, she leads her neighbors 57.7kReads9.6Score10kShelves

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    There are many, but this is the one I just finished reading. It's truly full of twists and turns. You might think it's a typical female protagonist system-transmigrating wish-fulfillment novel, but no, it's a realistic suspense novel; you might think it's a realistic suspense novel, but no, it's a criminal revenge story! In the end, the "story" is just a "story," but the story and the case have a logical closed loop; the female protagonist gets involved and manages to escape unscathed, which seems abnormal, but it's all very reasonable. It has elements of *Life of Pi* and the logic of *Detective Chinatown 1*! It's a very good novel in the female-oriented genre!

18. 68 魂 My Soul Reborn in the 1970s: The Night Queen Puts Everyone in Their Place 魂穿七零，暗夜女王专治各种不服 Silence8沉默8Modern Romance1.3M WordsOngoing (Period drama / Military marriage / Mutual devotion / Everyone’s favorite) After the dark-night queen of Bandit City died, her soul transmigrated to the 1970s and into the body of an overlooked, pitiful girl. An essential System for transmigrators: Brother Pony! Every time she beat someone up, the System gave her a reward: money, coupons, food, fabric… you name it! In her previous life, she’d fed an entire orphanage with her fists. Surely she could provide for a family of three? A foolishly duti 145.8kReads9.0Score3kShelves
19. 69 开 From the Start, They Sacrificed Me to Heaven. In the End, I Took Power 开局被祭天，结局我掌权 Big Shuttle大梭子Ancient Romance2.2M WordsCompleted (The first fifteen chapters mostly recount memories from her past life.) Wei Yingshan was born a princess of the imperial family, but an accident left her stranded in the wilderness. She was brought back to the palace when she was thirteen. When she was seventeen, rebel troops laid siege to the city and demanded that a princess of the Wei clan surrender with her hands bound and a jade disc in her mouth. Her birth mother couldn't bear to subject the elder sister and younger brother she'd raised f 77.2kReads9.3Score11.4kShelves

    Reader note

    Our Lord Liu is here! Everyone get out of the way! [Admiration][Admiration][Admiration]

20. 70 被 Driven to Death by a Cultivator’s Mistress? I’ll Raise My Sword to the Nine Heavens 被修仙外室逼死？我提剑杀上九霄 Bian Lu边鹿Ancient Romance710k WordsCompleted [Power fantasy, a female lead who begins as a villain and turns righteous, no transmigration, no rebirth] Only when she was dying did Li Fu learn why she could never defeat her husband's mistress, Huayue. It turned out that beyond this world lay a realm of cultivation. Huayue had come from that realm. With Taoist magic at her command, there was no way Li Fu could ever beat her. Tortured, skinned, and dismembered, Li Fu was abandoned by everyone and died after enduring every kind of suffering. Ho 79.4kReads9.6Score10.3kShelves
21. 71 穿 After I Transmigrated into a Book, the Sky Screen Livestreamed My Ascension to the Throne 穿书后天幕直播我登基 A Spruce Tree一棵云杉Ancient Romance314k WordsCompleted [Female Emperor + Sky Screen Livestream + Devoted Male Lead + Advancing Technology + Alternate History] An Jin died young and was born into the body of An Jinrou, the overlooked third princess of the Great Xia dynasty. After passing her childhood without incident, An Jin finally remembered that she had transmigrated into a novel about a world at war. An Jinrou was a throwaway character among throwaway characters, destined to be trampled to death among the refugees after the capital fell. An Jin 10.6kReads8.8Score957Shelves

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    The female protagonist transmigrates into the body of a princess, rebels, and becomes the empress! [Thumbs up][Thumbs up] ① The background is a chaotic world. The female protagonist is a princess of a fallen kingdom. With her own abilities, she saves capable ministers, encounters good generals, and comforts the common people. She fiercely carves out a bloody path in the chaotic world and creates her own path to hegemony! [Thumbs up] ② Reborn. An Jin was instantly stunned. In the chaotic world of power struggles, the male protagonist can become the emperor, so why can't she? But An Jin, who had just left the palace using her marriage and was preparing to make a name for herself, was caught off guard by a sudden live broadcast from the future— [Today, let's appreciate the charm of the founding empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the last princess of the Great Xia Dynasty, who turned the tide in the chaotic world!] Emperor: Stare— Princes and princesses: Stare—

22. 72 手 With the Notable Ministers System in Hand, I Disguise Myself as a Man in Ancient Times 手拿名臣系统，我在古代女扮男装 Tianyang Peak, Who Loves Handmade Wheat Dumplings爱吃手工麦饺的天阳峰Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Xu Yue transmigrates into a book. She becomes the delicate, vulnerable cousin of the male lead in an examination-themed novel: her mother died young, she has no brothers and no one to rely on, and her family won't take her in, so she is awkwardly forced to live in the male lead's home. In her previous life, Xu Yue rose from being an orphan to earning a doctorate. She never believed in fate, and even though it was hard for women to get by in ancient times, she never stopped thinking about how to 115.9kReads9.6Score11.3kShelves

    Reader note

    The only true god of political intrigue, rising from humble beginnings, plotting for years, and rising through the ranks to become the highest-ranking official; the plot and writing both respect the reader's intelligence.

23. 73 太 The Crown Prince Is a Treasure Trove, but She Flirts and Runs 太子浑身是宝，但她撩完就跑 Nine Strokes, Then a Horizontal Line九笔横才Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Clever revenge + ensemble court drama + male lead fakes his death and reveals his identity, then goes mad + heroine is his one true love] [Power couple comedy | Strategic mind games | All the right ingredients | Fictional setting] Axiang, a huntress, bought herself a live-in husband. He was handsome, with a fine figure and a noble, radiant air, like an immortal crane descended from the heavens, or a jade-faced gentleman from a storybook. But he had no idea how to show affection. When she offer 1.5kReads9.2Score178Shelves

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    The highlight of this novel lies in its core theme of "evenly matched opponents." The female protagonist is decisive and ruthless, while the male protagonist is exceptionally intelligent and fiercely protective of his wife. Amidst the turbulent political landscape, they complement each other perfectly, sharing both a tacit understanding of "you scheme for the throne, I'll help you reach the top" and a deep affection of "you protect me, I'll stay with you for the rest of my life." The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, with a logically sound political intrigue storyline and a sweet yet not cloying romance, perfectly capturing the thrill of a love-hate relationship between two equally matched individuals.

24. 74 你 You Like Your Sister-in-Law, So I’ll Marry the Emperor. What Are You Losing It For? 你喜欢嫂嫂我嫁给皇帝，你疯什么 Chacha Is So Cute茶茶好萌呀Ancient Romance496k WordsCompleted [An ambitious power-hungry minister who pursues his wife after losing her, and a mad emperor who steals her away. Not mutually faithful, and the heroine is no powerhouse. Palace intrigue and political scheming.] In the history books, Luo Tingzhao was a criminal who usurped the throne and ushered in an era of northern barbarians ravaging the Central Plains. Yet he was also a ruthless hero with grand ambitions who brought an end to years of chaos! People have always disagreed over whether to prai 1.6kReads8.8Score172Shelves

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    Female lead: Yu Xianyin; Male lead: Xuan Qi; Second male lead: Luo Tingzhao [Completed][Heart] Not a clean romance + time travel + female emperor [Heart] The female lead is a history student from Tsinghua and Peking Universities who time-travels to the Northern Zhou Dynasty. She grows up with Luo Tingzhao, the historical figure she admires most, and they thought they would eventually get married. However, an imperial edict to make her a concubine changes everyone's fate, and the female lead enters the palace and becomes the emperor's woman. [Thinking] What if the female lead loses love? If she can stop the tragic history of the barbarians invading China, then her life won't have been in vain... [Top][Top][Top]

25. 75 读 After Reading His Mind, the Mad Tyrant Decides to Turn Over a New Leaf 读心后，疯批暴君决定洗白 Picking Flowers in the Wind风中折花Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Transmigration into a book + woman disguised as a man + mind reading + wish fulfillment + two powerful leads + both leads are devoted to each other] Song Yunchu transmigrates into the tragic villainous chancellor from a melodramatic novel, who dies horribly. According to the original story, she will first be dismissed from office and imprisoned by the villainous emperor, then shot through the heart with a rain of arrows by the male lead, Prince Yi, whom she loves. After weighing her options, So 29.6kReads9.3Score4.2kShelves

    Reader note

    This book is great! 🤭

26. 76 我 I Drove the Cultivation World Mad by Writing Novels 我靠写小说逼疯修真界 Ying Zhouzhou赢舟舟Ancient Romance1.5M WordsCompleted [This book has been signed for publication] [Strong female lead + transmigrate into a book + face-slapping + no CP + madcap story] Workaholic Ye Qingyan works herself to the bone until she gets her company listed on the stock market. Before she can enjoy her rich-lady lifestyle, a car accident sends her into a cultivation novel full of lunatics who are hopelessly obsessed with romance. As the cannon-fodder older sister of the original heroine, she gets abused while the male and female leads ar 36.5kReads9.0Score5.1kShelves

    Reader note

    This is crazy fiction; I really like the female lead's personality—it's hilarious, my stomach hurts from laughing so much! [Laughing and crying emojis]

27. 77 武 At the Peak of Martial Prowess, I Left the Powerful Stunned 武力值天花板，我把权贵杀懵了 The Biscuit King是饼干大王Ancient Romance861k WordsCompleted Just as the King of Hell’s compensation, the strongest martial prowess around, arrived, peasant girl Qiao Nian faced a deadly choice: save a prince who was being hunted? Sure! The reward? Hand it over! The prince said, “Serving as my maid to repay the favor is your good fortune!” Qiao Nian replied, “Good fortune? How about I send you to meet the King of Hell?” One swift strike, and the prince was dead. Why? He was ungrateful and even expected her to work as his bodyguard for free. He deserved to 7kReads7.2Score535Shelves

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    The Empress has arrived.

28. 78 窃 The Book of Stolen Lives 窃命书 Heavy Snow in May五月下大雪Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted The short drama adaptation of this book, A Book of Ashes and Joy, premieres at 12:15 a.m. on February 13. If you're interested, keep an eye out! [Regains control after being possessed | Not a wish-fulfillment story | Plot-driven | Light ensemble cast] Lin Ruochu, the legitimate daughter of a general's family, was possessed during her coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen. The transmigrated woman, sold off by a System, used every means to “win over” the young heir of a marquis's estate. She turned e 38.4kReads9.4Score5.8kShelves

    Reader note

    This story features a female protagonist who fights against a system and transmigrators, relying solely on her own intelligence. The plot is full of twists and turns. If you like clever female protagonists, you might want to check it out.

29. 79 三 The Three Kingdoms’ Villainess, Cao Cao’s Younger Sister 三国恶女，家兄曹操 Counting Jade数玉Ancient Romance451k WordsOngoing This story is entirely fictional and has nothing to do with real history. Everything is set up to serve the plot. History buffs, beware. The protagonist has a succubus constitution. No CP. Multiple women have one-sided feelings for the female lead. No matter how hard the road ahead, I will keep moving forward without wavering. - Cao Shaohe Nearly forty-year-old Cao Song had a daughter, Cao Shaohe, who suddenly fell gravely ill. At the time, the Cao family was moving to their ancestral home in Qi 1.9kReads6.0Score255Shelves
30. 80 穿 Reborn as the Older Sister of a Tragic Romance Heroine, I Keep My Crazy in Check 穿成虐文女主她姐，姐稳定发疯 Mei Qianxun梅千寻Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Jiang Wan knew she was dead. She knew she’d transmigrated, too. But she had no idea where she’d ended up. Still, judging by her current surroundings, this trip had probably gone badly. There was a good chance that wretched poverty would have her in its grip again. “Being a wage slave is miserable, but it doesn’t make me an idiot. Who wants to come to this dump of an ancient world? Not me!” “Ribbit!” “Frog bro, you think this place sucks too, don’t you?” Jiang Wan stared at her bizarre reflection 41.4kReads9.2Score5.5kShelves

    Reader note

    I highly recommend this book. Not only is the female lead resourceful, but it's also a hilarious read. The author is very talented, and there are many memorable quotes.

31. 81 只 I Just Wanted to Lie Flat and Retire, but They Insisted I Become Empress 只想躺平退休，他们非让我当女帝 Fang Xiangpi方响屁Ancient Romance1.3M WordsOngoing [Farming + infrastructure building + empress + power struggles in a chaotic age + ensemble cast + no romance + an apocalypse survivor transmigrates to ancient times + lighthearted comedy] An apocalypse powerhouse transmigrates to ancient times. Qin An is thrilled: time to lie flat and retire! With unmatched martial prowess in one hand and infrastructure projects and technological progress in the other, she soon finds herself surrounded by more and more younger brothers and sisters... And the sto 36.7kReads9.1Score4.4kShelves
32. 82 昭 The Chaos of Zhaohua 昭华乱 See Fortune at First Sight, Meow一见生财瞄Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Available in print. Search "Zhaohua Rebellion" on any platform to purchase.] [Strong female lead, satisfying revenge, high-IQ palace intrigue, the heroine schemes against the entire harem, a dangerously unhinged antagonist] Song Zhao has always been a woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals, and she has always seen the world more clearly than anyone else. From the moment she learned that Xiao Jingheng had chosen her to enter the palace as a consort, her goal was crystal clear: "I en 88.6kReads9.5Score9.7kShelves

    Reader note

    Both are female-centric novels. The first one features a heroine who later becomes an empress, while the second, "Provoking the Golden Branch," boasts a highly intelligent and resourceful female protagonist. The writing is also captivating, with a tightly woven plot. Both are works by the author of "Xi Hua Zhi," and are well worth reading.

33. 83 穿 After Becoming a Country Grandma, I Claimed the Mountain as My Own 穿成农村老妇后，我占山为王了 Shan Tao224山桃224Ancient Romance225k WordsOngoing [No Male Lead + System + Farming and Infrastructure-Building + Power Fantasy + Claiming a Mountain and Founding a Nation as Its Empress] How does a young woman suddenly become a woman over fifty? Is this a distortion of human nature, or a collapse of morality? Guo Puying transmigrates into the body of a terrible old country woman. The old woman's life is bitter as gall: her husband died after being drafted, her eldest son was drafted and disappeared, her second son fell ill while doing forced la 12Reads—Score—Shelves
34. 84 兄 Too Many Brothers: How Do I Usurp the Throne? 兄弟太多，我想篡位怎么办 Deep-Fried Squid Girl油炸乌贼娘Ancient Romance558k WordsOngoing [Court intrigue + ensemble cast + no romance] In a nutshell: The heroine spends twenty years disguised as a man, sends all her brothers to their deaths, and ends up ascending the throne herself! After pretending to be a man for twenty years, she watched each of her brothers meet his end: The Crown Prince died because he was soft-hearted, the eldest prince fell because of his arrogance, the third prince was undone by his suspicion, and the fourth prince perished through his conceit... The palace 236Reads8.1Score102Shelves

    Reader note

    Political intrigue with no romantic pairing; the female lead aspires to be empress and secretly plots to kill everyone.

35. 85 定 To Steady the Realm: A Female Emperor Slays Her Way Through Troubled Times 定山河，乱世女帝杀疯了 Mo Yue Chi Bai墨月迟白Ancient Romance740k WordsOngoing [Transmigration + Alternate History + Chaotic Times + Personal Space + Feel-Good Power Fantasy + No Romance + Nation-Building + Empress] Jiang Yan transmigrates into a world torn apart by war. Her country has fallen, and she is being escorted to a mass grave to be executed. After the soldiers throw her into the autumn river twice, Jiang Yan can take no more. She grabs a blade and fights back, then rescues the commandery princess and the others. She keeps rescuing people along the way, building a 810Reads6.1Score100Shelves
36. 86 武 Wu Zetian Reborn as Hua Fei: Slaying the Dragon and Ascending the Throne 武则天重生成华妃后，屠龙登基了 Tyrannical CEO Zhao Tieniu霸道总裁赵铁牛Female-Channel Fanfiction502k WordsCompleted [The main story is complete. Readers who like the Qing dynasty, read with caution.] Leads: Wu Zetian + Nian Shilan Main plot: The greatest female emperor in history ascends the throne once more, reclaims the dragon throne, slaughters the Manchu aristocracy, and restores China's glory! The ultimate idealist's fantasy! After coming to her senses, the love-struck Shilan refuses to compete with other women for a man. She devotes herself to reclaiming the Han realm! She establishes female officials, 3.6kReads8.8Score542Shelves

    Reader note

    The female protagonists are intelligent and resourceful, and they almost always become empresses or powerful ministers.

37. 87 截 I Hijack the Male Lead's Path to the Throne, Kick Fate Aside, and Become Empress 截胡男主登基路，踹翻天命当女帝 Jiang Yao江药Ancient Romance733k WordsCompleted [An unapologetic female-led power fantasy. The heroine is a ruthless, ambition-driven fanatic who says little and will do anything for power. She loves no one but the throne. No equally matched power couple, and no stronger male lead: the woman is strong, and the man is weak!] Li Yuanzhao is the most revered Grand Princess of Great Qi, charged with protecting the nation. Born of imperial blood and devoted to political power, she is so formidable that no court official dares meet her gaze. But on 8kReads9.2Score1.4kShelves
38. 88 弃 The Abandoned Daughter Is Fierce: The Scheming Poison Doctor Only Wants to Get Ahead! 弃女好凶：腹黑毒医只求上进！ Bright Blue灿蓝Ancient Romance518k WordsCompleted [No romance + a little System + transmigrate into a book + poison and medicine + genius scholar + female supporting character awakens] Only after Song Yin dies does she learn that she's merely a tool of a supporting character in a book. She has to endure a painful childhood and inhuman experiences, possess extraordinary talent, and be utterly alone and desireless, all so she can become the heroine's all-purpose companion and shine for her. She has to cure the male lead, pave the way for the h 21.9kReads9.4Score2.8kShelves
39. 89 被 After a Golden Finger Accidentally Hit Me, I Transmigrated into a Book 被金手指误伤后，我穿书了 Luo Luo雒落Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted Chu Changli, an unlucky soul transmigrated after being struck by an object falling from above. She learned while still in her mother’s womb that she’d transmigrated into a book, and not just any book: a memoir about a baby who died before birth?! As an embryo, she was terrified. When she was finally born safely, she’d barely had time to celebrate before learning that an important female supporting character had been reborn! Luckily, the reborn supporting character was on her side. Then Chu Chang 1.9kReads6.5Score107Shelves
40. 90 何 Why Not Sail Together 何不同舟渡 Xian Yuke羡鱼珂Ancient Romance483k WordsCompleted "The print edition under the same title is available to buy online" [No golden finger, no transmigration, no rebirth. A pure historical romance about family and country, with high-IQ espionage and political intrigue] [A double agent undercover + a petty thief who grows: a lone wolf plays a game of raising a rabbit, gives her fangs, then insists they run away together] In a chaotic age, she is a thief worth less than a blade of grass, willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive. She steals ten 143kReads9.7Score106.8kShelves

    Reader note

    The female leads are all very intelligent, and the shows all have ratings above 9.6. Highly recommended!

41. 91 清 I Transmigrated into Jiang Yuyan in the Qing Dynasty and Smashed Qianlong's Head 清穿融合江玉燕，锤爆乾隆狗头 Chilled Honeydew冰镇蜜瓜Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Female-oriented Qing dynasty time travel + rebellion and kingship + beating up Qianlong + no romance, feel-good story with a powerful female lead!] After transmigrating to the Qianlong era, Jinfeng became the Fifth Princess, the short-lived daughter of Empress Consort Nara. From the start, she was stranded outside the palace and sold into a brothel? Jinfeng sneered, activated the System, inherited Jiang Yuyan’s peerless martial arts, and slaughtered her way through her enemies. Her birth mother 3.7kReads8.8Score342Shelves
42. 92 娘 The Empress Is Alluring and Bewitching, and the Emperor Gives In to Pleasure 娘娘撩人魅惑，帝王纵情堕落 You Gongyu尤宫羽Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted The Tomato short drama Kun Yi is now streaming~ [Transmigrate into a book, male lead is not a virgin but female lead is, palace intrigue, psychological games, happy ending] The Crown Prince, Jun Zechen, has seen his fair share of calculating women, and loves only those who are pure and kind. While campaigning beyond the frontier, he meets Ling Yue and is captivated by her free-spirited kindness. He promises to spend his life with her alone. But two years pass, and the Crown Princess has yet to c 116.7kReads9.5Score11.1kShelves
43. 93 双 A Tale of Two Ming Dynasties: Zhu Yuanzhang Asks Me to Become Empress 双大明对比：朱元璋求我当女帝 Chilled Honeydew冰镇蜜瓜Ancient Romance758k WordsCompleted [Female-oriented Ming dynasty transmigration + sky screen comparisons and rankings + a true female lead] After transmigrating to the Ming dynasty, she becomes Zhu Ling, Zhu Yuanzhang’s eldest granddaughter. She prefers armor to fine clothes, rides across battlefields, defends her country, and earns great honors, only to be framed and thrown into prison. Zhu Yunwen and his mother are thorns in her side, and they repeatedly try to kill her. Zhu Yuanzhang favors men and insists that she obey the Th 11.7kReads8.7Score919Shelves
44. 94 侯 The Entire Marquis's Residence Hangs Themselves, Begging the Fake Heiress to Come Home for the Feast 侯府全体上吊，求假千金回府吃席 Zi Lu子璐Ancient Romance1.5M WordsCompleted [Meme humor + Absurdity + Unhinged antics + Lighthearted daily life + Invincible heroine + No official couple, ship whoever you want] Jiang Miao: Stop trying to help people. Just laugh at their fate. But then again, if the money's right, I'll gladly give your fate a couple of extra stabs! After dumping three High Gods, Jiang Miao is exposed and flees to the mortal realm. She takes over the body of the Xuan Yuan Marquis household's fake heiress, who has lost her memory. The marquis household is s 35.4kReads9.2Score4.7kShelves

    Reader note

    After experiencing a reading slump following reading Lu Songli's novel, I stumbled upon this book. It's a fast-paced, entertaining read with tons of jokes and I laughed so hard I was pounding my bed.

45. 95 弑 After Killing the Emperor, My Archenemy and I Are Bound Together for Good 弑君后，我和死对头锁死了 Two Times Four Means Prosperity二四得发Ancient Romance438k WordsCompleted [Mutual Purity] [Uncle and Sister-in-Law] [Emotional Push and Pull] [Mind Games and Steamy Romance] [Bickering Couple] [Two Strong Leads] [Happy Ending] The comic is now available. Search Tomato Novel for "After Killing the Emperor, My Archenemy and I Were Bound Together" to read it. -- Empress Su Li had a dream. In it, Emperor Jingchang took her on a trip south of the Yangtze, then poisoned her at an inn and made it look like suicide. After her death, Emperor Jingchang also schemed to have her 20.8kReads9.2Score3kShelves
46. 96 跪 Better to Ascend the Throne Than Kneel, Cold-Faced, as the Mistress of the House 跪着冷脸做主母不如登基当皇帝 Three Whimpers嘤三声Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted [Palace intrigue in the first half + sharing power in government in the second half + female heir to the throne + a cast of lunatics + no romance + System clashes + ruthless heroine + heroine enters the palace with her child and marries again + a grab bag of elements] On the day she entered the palace, a voice appeared in Xie Xuzhen’s mind. It called itself the Comeback Palace Intrigue System, and said it had come to help Xie Xuzhen, who was about to enter the palace, reach the pinnacle of life. 1.9kReads9.1Score267Shelves

    Reader note

    They're all female protagonists, conquering the world and becoming empresses.

47. 97 灭 My Entire Clan Is About to Be Wiped Out! Hahahahaha! 灭灭灭灭灭灭九族啦！哈哈哈哈哈 San Dan三淡Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Strong Female Lead + Transmigrates into a Book + Reborn + Punishing Scumbags + Palace and Household Intrigue + Underdog Comeback] A top all-around special agent opens her eyes and discovers she’s transmigrated into the book as a hapless supporting female character. To make matters worse, her own father is forcing her to take someone else’s place and marry the Crown Prince. Fine. First, she’ll break her scumbag father’s fingers, then kick him three yards away! The sanctimonious female lead delib 2.4kReads8.5Score302Shelves
48. 98 第 The First Female Official: Fortune Sustains Me, and I Sustain the Nation 第一女官：气运养我，我养国运 S12 and KouS12与蔻Ancient Romance2.0M WordsCompleted In her previous life, Lin Jinxuan was schemed against and killed by her scumbag husband and half-sister. Her maternal family and relatives on her mother's side became stepping stones for the scumbag, but she didn't learn the truth until after her death, when it was too late to do anything. Living her life again, Lin Jinxuan knows one thing: she will never let anyone bully her again! And that strange almanac is her greatest support! Ding! Sign-in gift pack unlocked. You have obtained a master div 285Reads8.8Score105Shelves
49. 99 土 The Native Matriarch Makes a Bold Entrance and Takes on Everyone 土著主母霸气侧漏，单挑全场 First-Rate Red Chamber一品红楼Ancient Romance640k WordsCompleted [A strong heroine at heart + mature adults building their careers] He Fangting was the quintessential noblewoman, with no flaw beyond being despised by her imperial uncle, the emperor. After marrying, she became a capable lady of the house, using her generous dowry to support her husband's family and finally give them a solid foundation. One day, her husband returned from disaster relief with a female physician who had received the emperor's commendation. He Fangting admired the woman and prepar 19.8kReads9.2Score2.4kShelves
50. 100 乱 Female Emperor in a Chaotic Age: From the Start, at a Mass Grave! 乱世女帝，开局乱葬岗！ February Blade二月刀刀Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Transmigration to another world + strong heroine + no overpowered golden finger + flight from famine + warfare My name is A Zi, also known as Wei Zi. A Zi is the daughter adopted by a farming family in a mountain village, while Wei Zi is the legitimate imperial princess of Wei, the foremost of the four kingdoms. Wei Zi transmigrates from another world to the modern world. One moment, she's just been born to the most esteemed empress of Wei. The next, she opens her eyes and finds herself buried i 657Reads6.5Score—Shelves

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