I Want Pure Palace Intrigue Stories 我想看纯宫斗的

1. 1 白 The White Moonlight Noble Consort’s Daily Life in the Harem 白月光贵妃的后宫日常 Yuanzi Eats Mulberries元子吃桑葚Ancient Romance434k WordsCompleted (Cover used with permission) With an illustrious family background, breathtaking beauty, and the distinction of being the emperor’s moonlight, Jiang Hui should have found life as a Noble Consort effortlessly easy. Unfortunately, the sisters in all but name in the Eastern Palace, wave after wave of beautiful candidates from the provinces, and the supposed substitutes who resemble her in looks and bearing all tell her the same thing: no one can walk unscathed through the imperial harem. [Alternate 25.5kReads9.3Score2.1k14d adds

   Reader note

   It's really good! Huihui is a clear-headed and resourceful female lead, and the emperor is also a clear-headed and resourceful male lead. There aren't any foolish beauties in the entire story (except for the one surnamed Xu, of course). Every moment in the harem is a battle of wits between experts, making it incredibly exciting to read. I stayed up all night to finish it! [Learned something new]

2. 2 宫 Palace Intrigue Begins Before the Selection 宫斗从选秀前开始 A Cluster of Flowers一丛花令Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted In her previous life, she endured a life of hardship and instability. From the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Wu’an to a government courtesan available to any man, she finally escaped a life of being passed from one man to another, only to jump from the tiger’s jaws into the wolf’s den. She walked on eggshells at every step until she finally became the real power behind the prefect’s household. But the misery of her first half of life had already left her body broken beyond repair. Only o 7.9kReads9.0Score80314d 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 Romance749k 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 2.5kReads—Score20614d adds

   Reader note

   Both of these are incredibly good! ① A palace intrigue thriller: the female lead enters the Eastern Palace through the imperial concubine selection. She's unassuming, adept at feigning weakness but actually highly skilled. She and the Crown Prince test each other, with the Crown Prince showering her with affection. The plot is fast-paced and very enjoyable. ② A palace intrigue + rebirth story: in her previous life, the female lead mistakenly trusted her sister, broke with the male lead, and died tragically. She's reborn, actively pursuing the male lead to resolve misunderstandings. After reconciliation, they join forces in palace intrigue. The rating might be a bit low because it's a new book, but it's definitely worth recommending!

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 261Reads—Score—14d adds
5. 5 谁 Can You Believe It? The Empress Wrote a Hundred Palace Rules 谁懂啊，娘娘写了一百条宫规 Strawberry Xi草莓汐Ancient Romance602k WordsCompleted [Palace Intrigue + Ancient-Era Heroine + Reborn Supporting Female Character + Transmigrated Supporting Female Character + Everyone Is Clever + Clear-Eyed Heroine] From ordinary palace candidate to empress. Everyone believes the emperor is devoted to Ning Wanyin. Only Ning Wanyin knows how treacherous and perilous the journey has been. She has survived every step through sheer caution. Lady Tang, reborn: “She killed me in my last life. This time, of course I’ll… make her my friend! Do I really th 40.9kReads9.6Score5.9k14d adds

   Reader note

   Undeniably, this is a truly excellent novel! The plot is tight and logical, a real gem among palace intrigue stories; the female lead is highly intelligent, kind but not overly naive, decisive, and always leaves herself options; each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, there are no absolute good or bad; the relationships between the female lead and the emperor, and with the other concubines and sisters, are very touching, written with delicate detail, logic, and warmth! Highly recommended! You won't regret reading it!

6. 6 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 54.3kReads9.5Score7.1k14d adds

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   The emperor is surprisingly the most romantic character in this book. Luckily, both of them are intelligent. The concubine, who rose from a lowly concubine to a powerful general, is truly remarkable; if she didn't succeed, who would? The young concubine isn't pretentious and doesn't resort to scheming or manipulative tactics. She only ever plots against the emperor, making her a rare and highly skilled palace intrigue expert.

7. 7 栖 Bough of the Phoenix Perch 栖凰枝 Lu Shiqi鹿时七Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Short drama now available. Search "A Sigh for Youth". Starring Mi Qi and Wang Kang] Also known as "I'm a Psychology PhD, and I'll Slaughter My Way Through the Palace" Palace intrigue + sweet romance + not both leads' first relationship + heroine focused on her career On her first day after transmigrating into the harem, Jiang Xinyue fell out of favor. Everyone said she was nothing but a pretty face, a vase. On her second day after transmigrating into the harem, Jiang Xinyue regained the emperor 37.2kReads9.4Score4.4k14d adds

   Reader note

   I've always loved palace intrigue novels, and this one truly amazed me. From the character development, the female lead is intelligent, brave, and kind—a quintessential 21st-century elite woman. She's clear-headed, not driven by love, and has her own bottom line; it's really hard not to love her. The characters of Consort Shu, Consort De, and Consort Gui are also portrayed very vividly and meticulously.

8. 8 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 83kReads9.5Score9.6k14d adds

   Reader note

   Pure palace intrigue novel, see if you like it 🔥 ① A normal palace intrigue novel, the emperor is a scumbag, the female lead is very clear-headed, doesn't want romance, starts as a concubine's daughter entering the palace, and climbs step by step in the harem to the top. ② It took the female lead more than ten years to go from a lowly concubine to empress, only she knows the hardships she endured. ③ This is a time-travel novel, a bit of a wish-fulfillment story. ④ This isn't exactly a wish-fulfillment novel, but the emperor dotes on the female lead. Follow me so I don't run out of books to read.

9. 9 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

   Once you enter the palace gates, it's like entering a deep sea; you'll receive countless favors and experience countless trials. In the end, the emperor's heart is the most unfathomable...

10. 10 宠 The Favorite Consort System: Host, Get Up and Fight for the Throne 宠妃系统：宿主起来宫斗啦 I Love Boun我爱bounAncient Romance361k WordsCompleted Leng Xiqing transmigrates and binds herself to a System. Hoping to return to her real life, she strives to become a favored consort, then the empress! Everyone tells her, “Don’t fall in love with him. Don’t fall in love with him.” But she never imagined that in the end, she would lose both her freedom and her heart. Even after returning to the modern world, she cannot tell whether it all really happened or was only a dream. The magnificent palace was like a prison, trapping her loved ones and ki 121Reads8.8Score—14d adds
11. 11 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 8.6kReads9.2Score1.1k14d adds
12. 12 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. 8.1kReads9.2Score92514d adds
13. 13 花 The Courtesan's Blade, the Prince's Waist 花魁的刀，王爷的腰 Totally Bewitched可迷可迷了Ancient Romance758k WordsCompleted [A short drama and comic adaptation with the same title are now available] [Secret Identities / Devoted to Each Other / Happy Ending / Scheming Prince x Cold, Elegant Pavilion Master] Sworn enemies become spouses, uncovering each other's secret identities and flirting their way into a sweet romance! The Prince of Lingyuan x the Azure Bone Sect: a carefully orchestrated descent into madness. She is the mysterious master of the Pig Bone Pavilion, as well as the most famous courtesan in the capita 9.4kReads9.0Score1.2k14d adds

    Reader note

    The story of the top assassin in the martial arts world and a powerful prince who holds sway over the court is a blend of sweet romance and political intrigue. The plot is fast-paced and engaging, making you want to read it again. If you're looking for something to read, this is a great option.

14. 14 皇 The Emperor Fell for Her at First Sight: The Bewitching Consort Becomes Empress After Bearing Many Heirs 皇上一见钟情，尤物娘娘多胎封后 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance251k WordsCompleted [The emperor falls in love at first sight + the emperor begs the heroine to manage the harem + heroine with stellar acting skills + strong, intelligent heroine + lots of children] Whoever harms me, I’ll make them pay! Hua Yunchu loves only herself. The right way to deal with a man is to use up every last bit of his value. But the emperor wants to make Hua Yunchu a Noble Lady, while the empress’s throne sits empty. And he wants me to manage the harem, too? What is going on? I’d planned to coast o 2.7kReads9.1Score30314d adds
15. 15 灭 After the Crown Princess Conceives Twins, the Crown Prince Favors His Beloved Concubine and Makes Her Empress 灭太子妃怀双胎，太子宠娇妾封后 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance500k WordsCompleted [Traditional historical romance. Not a virginal couple! + Clear-headed heroine gradually grows stronger in palace intrigue + Twins + Winning the Crown Prince’s heart, aiming for the empress’s throne] An Ruyan clutched her book of Thirty-Six Stratagems and set out to win over the tyrannical Crown Prince!!! An Ruyan was rescued by Prince Yan when she was robbed while visiting a temple. She had long been in love with him, but an unexpected incident made her see what a scumbag he was. Determined to 2.2kReads9.0Score22214d adds
16. 16 宠 He Spoils His Favorite Consort and Destroys the Harem, While the Biased Emperor Decrees Her Empress 宠娇妃灭后宫，偏心皇上下旨封后 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance309k WordsCompleted [The emperor falls in love at first sight + the heroine isn't the only one for him at first, but later receives all his favor + the emperor helps her fight in the harem and makes her empress + the heroine fights in the harem and kills] A low-ranking concubine? I want to be empress. No, no, I want to be Empress Dowager. What? The emperor saw Han Qianning kill someone, and still wants to keep her by his side... Once I'm in the palace, I'll climb my way up to the phoenix throne and kill them all. 1.1kReads9.0Score10614d adds
17. 17 贵 The Noble Consort Rejects Love, Yet the Emperor Dotes on Her and Decrees Her Empress 贵妃不入爱河，皇上盛宠下旨封后 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance288k WordsCompleted [The leads aren't both chaste at first + he pampers her devotedly later + the emperor secretly helps her navigate palace intrigue + the heroine has no interest in loving the emperor and focuses on climbing the ranks.] Alternate-era setting [The emperor personally raises his future empress, then claims her in the night] The Yun family has a legitimate daughter, a peerless beauty hidden away in the general's manor. The prime minister's son came to propose, but didn't even get to see her. “I don't 1.5kReads9.1Score19414d adds
18. 18 尤 The Alluring Consort Climbs to the Phoenix Throne and Captures the Emperor's Heart at First Sight 尤物娘娘爬凤位，让皇上一见钟情 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance228k WordsCompleted [Devoted love + the emperor falls at first sight + palace intrigue and rising to power through favoritism + heroine’s acting skills + strong, clever heroine] Wen Shuyao loved only herself. Only losers loved men. Now that she had been granted the title of Attendant and ordered into the palace, she would make use of the emperor’s love at first sight. The emperor was merely a stepping stone for Wen Shuyao. It wouldn’t be hard to act like someone deeply in love with him. Wen Shuyao was the legitimat 4.7kReads9.0Score55714d adds
19. 19 东 The Eastern Palace's Pampered Concubine: The Crown Prince Dotes on His Concubine and Neglects His Wife, and She Sets Her Sights on the Empress's Throne 东宫娇妾：太子宠妾灭妻目标后位 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance229k WordsCompleted Not a pure pairing, not a pure pairing [The prince’s concubine is not a pure pairing at first + she enters the palace soon after, and becomes his sole favorite after the palace struggles] [The heroine is clear-headed and career-minded, working her way up to the empress’s position] Since I’ve been granted the title of Worthy Lady, my goal should be the empress’s throne. The Crown Prince has been married for two years, but the Crown Princess has yet to bear him a child. The Empress personally choo 2kReads8.9Score18314d adds
20. 20 宫 A Heart Caged Behind Palace Walls: Consort Yuan Is Promoted Again 宫墙锁心宠，元妃娘娘又晋位了 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance320k WordsCompleted No one is completely devoted to one person in the early part of the story, so don’t read if that’s a dealbreaker. The emperor is a scoundrel at first, but utterly doting later. More sweet than angsty. [Palace intrigue and rising to power + many children + absolute favor + climbing to the top one step at a time] Su Zhitang, the daughter of a general, enters the palace as a beauty after the selection. Her father is already a second-rank official, so she only wants to heed her mother’s advice, keep 642Reads9.0Score10114d adds
21. 21 入 After Entering the Palace, the Obsessive Emperor Dotes on Consort Yuan 入宫后，偏执皇上盛宠元妃娘娘 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance300k WordsCompleted [A violent emperor + a feigning-fool, ruthless concubine-born daughter + not mutually exclusive in the early stages + favored above the entire harem later] An Qingyu was the fourth daughter of the prime minister. Her mother, Concubine Lan Yue, had been brought into the household as the prime minister’s wife’s dowry maid. As a concubine-born daughter, An Qingyu had grown up at the First Madam’s side, keeping her head down and ingratiating herself, just like Concubine Lan. Then a twist of fate rui 2kReads9.0Score21914d adds
22. 22 娘 The Bewitching Consort Goes Mad, Scheming Ruthlessly to Seize the Empress’s Throne 娘娘疯诱娇媚，狠毒宫斗疯夺后位 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance202k WordsCompleted [Doesn't love the emperor + single-mindedly plays palace politics + not mutually chaste + favored exclusively in the later stages + no idiotic palace scheming + the empress's throne! The empress's throne!] Lin Zhi Ruan concealed her looks until she entered the palace, only then revealing her true appearance. Before she died, Concubine Meng clutched her hand tightly and warned her never to show her real face before leaving the estate. Given the chance to enter the palace, Lin Zhi Ruan understood 292Reads7.5Score—14d adds
23. 23 菀 Wanfeng Palace 菀凤宫 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance282k WordsCompleted [Doesn’t love the emperor + aims to become Empress Dowager + wants her own child to be crown prince + later receives exclusive devotion + palace intrigue, eliminates every consort in the harem] Note: They are not mutually faithful at first. The heroine gradually wins the emperor over with her schemes and tactics. Jiang Zhiwan was a general’s daughter who studied the art of poisoning, then accidentally poisoned herself to death. She transmigrated into a different fictional era, only to 308Reads8.8Score—14d adds

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