Palace Intrigue with a Clear-Headed, Intelligent Female Lead, Not a Clinging Vine 宫斗，不要菟丝花女主，需要头脑清晰聪明的女主

1. 251 嫡 The Noble Daughter Is the Phoenix! The Entire Chancellor's Residence Kneels 嫡女为凰！相府全体都跪下 North Moon Xiaomu北月小木Ancient Romance622k WordsCompleted [Transmigration + powerful male and female leads + mastery of both medicine and poison] Jiang Qingran is the only legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s household. She and her half-sister were born on the same day of the same month in the same year. Her half-sister is hailed as a blessed girl and the phoenix destined by heaven, while Jiang Qingran is called a jinx, a worthless blob of mud. She endures humiliation and hardship at every turn. When she is six, her parents beat her and send her 15.3kReads9.1Score1.2kShelves
2. 252 新 On Our Wedding Night, He Personally Sent Me to the Regent’s Bedchamber 新婚夜他亲手把我送向摄政王寝宫 Li Wei礼蔚Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Reborn + Palace Intrigue and Revenge + The Scumbag Regrets It Too Late + Devoted Couple + Adoring Husband] On her wedding night, Mu Wanyan was sent by her scumbag husband to the Regent's bed. She knew nothing of it, and believed he loved her just as deeply as she loved him. She treated her scumbag husband, Pei Mochen, wonderfully, even taking a blade for him. Little did she know he saw her only as a spy from an enemy state. He pretended to care for her, while secretly having people poison Mu 617Reads9.1Score168Shelves
3. 253 贵 Noble Luan 贵鸾 Moonlight Falling on Branches明月落枝Ancient Romance890k WordsCompleted Searchable audio version available [Resilient, kindhearted little bunny x ruthless, disgraced crown prince + everyone gets their comeuppance, not a single person spared + maximum swoon and satisfaction, or your money back] Fu Jiayu was betrothed from birth to the heir of the Duke of Weiguo. After her parents died, she was raised in the duke's household, growing up alongside her fiancé and loving him wholeheartedly. Only after a high fever brought on a nightmare in which boiling oil was poured do 542Reads8.7Score110Shelves

   Reader note

   Palace intrigue novels are all super good!

4. 254 金 The Golden Sparrow Hairpin 金雀钗 Thirteen'er十三儿Ancient Romance153k WordsCompleted Rong Lan entered the palace as a maid at thirteen and worked diligently for ten years. She thought she would be able to leave the palace and marry once she turned twenty-five. Little did she know that she would accidentally serve the Empress Dowager to death, and from then on, one unexpected incident followed another. The young tutor Feng Qiw u took a liking to her despite being blind, so Rong Lan hurriedly latched onto a powerful patron and privately pledged herself to him for life. Who knew th 1.1kReads9.4Score139Shelves
5. 255 哑 The Mute Girl Marries Up 哑女高嫁 Forsythia连翘Ancient Romance580k WordsCompleted She was the famous deaf and mute legitimate daughter of the Shen family. A calamity when she was eight forced her to live under that identity, treading carefully and watching her every step. He was the heir to Prince Rui's manor, the most notorious wastrel in Lan City. Frequenting brothels was routine for him, and no one knew what he was really like. She married him, only to spend their wedding night alone. Three days later, when she returned to her family home, he was drunk at a brothel. Rumors 872Reads9.0Score100Shelves
6. 256 糟 Oh No! The Day Before I Flee, I Get Pregnant by the Heir 糟！跑路前一天，我怀了世子的崽 Arubas of the Northern Snowy Wasteland北雪荒原的阿鲁巴斯Ancient Romance949k WordsCompleted Mu Chunqing is a passionate woman of the jianghu who believes in repaying kindness and vengeance. But at twenty, she’s considered an old maid. Her mother worries that she’ll die without anyone to burn paper offerings at her grave, so she wants Mu Chunqing to find a man and have a child. After a long search, Mu Chunqing chooses a handsome, powerfully built, unruly subordinate to father her child. But she never expected him not only to cooperate without a fight, but also to become impossible to sh 4.8kReads9.3Score511Shelves

   Reader note

   The female lead in "The Story of Yanjing" is so gentle and intelligent. I love her.

7. 257 夫 My Husband Gives Me Two Hundred Thousand Taels a Month 夫君每月给我二十万两 Having Met the Young Master既见公子Ancient Romance768k WordsCompleted [Sweet Romance + Transmigrate Into a Book + Goofy Comedy + Redemption + Marriage Before Love] Gan Qiongying transmigrated into the body of a princess! Before she could even celebrate, she realized this world was the setting of a book she had read. And she was the wicked supporting character who committed countless evils and met a tragic end... The plot had reached the point where a princess of her stature was being forced to marry a merchant. Merchants ranked below scholars, farmers, and arti 29.1kReads9.4Score3.7kShelves
8. 258 洞 On Our Wedding Night, the Physician Consort Beat the Living Hell King to a Pulp 洞房当天，医妃胖揍活阎王 Luo Chunshui洛春水Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Miracle Doctor + General + Sweet Romance + Lighthearted] Xiao Qingyin, a master physician, dies unexpectedly and transmigrates into the eldest legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue in the Great Xi Dynasty, raised in the countryside. Just as she returns to the capital, bandits kidnap her and haul her up the mountain to tend to the chieftain’s new bride. The bride is breathtakingly beautiful, except that she’s a man. Xiao Qingyin, a shameless flirt, can’t resist teasing him. After treati 2.4kReads9.1Score408Shelves
9. 259 重 Reborn Poisonous Consort: The Sickly Regent Is So Clingy 重生毒妃：病娇摄政王太黏人 Hua Yueyue花月月Ancient Romance478k WordsCompleted [Rebirth and transmigration + secret identities + doted on to the extreme + exhilarating revenge] In her previous life, her identity was switched. The princess who should have been cherished by everyone became the disfigured, unloved eldest daughter of a marquis's household, and was cruelly abused to death. Reborn, she begins her revenge on the very day she's sent to marry the comatose Prince Regent as a substitute bride, to bring him good fortune. Her enemies begin to tremble. They call her ugl 2.9kReads9.2Score254Shelves
10. 260 慌 Panic! After Giving Up, the Little Slacker Is Forced to Take the Throne 慌！摆烂后，小咸鱼她被迫登基了 Sleepy Cat猫沉沉Ancient Romance500k WordsCompleted My mother, who always insisted on having her way, and Consort Zhang next door became pregnant at the same time. Consort Zhang gave birth to a big baby boy, so I became a “big baby boy” too. I spent eighteen years as a prince while pretending to be a boy. To keep my secret identity from being exposed, I usually kept a low profile. My brothers put on a “Nine Dragons Contesting for the Throne” to fight over succession, so I gave up and decided to coast through life. Who knew that when my father die 9kReads9.2Score1.4kShelves
11. 261 新 On Our Wedding Night, the Sickly Prince and I Fled Together 新婚夜：我和病娇王爷一起逃婚 Deng Feng灯枫Ancient Romance234k WordsCompleted Yu Jiao transmigrated. That night, dressed in her wedding gown, she hid in an alley and ran into a man in red. “Hey, what a coincidence! Are you running away from your wedding too?” “Yeah.” “I’m marrying Chu Yin. What about you?” “Hah. My name is Chu Yin.” After becoming the wife of a bewitching, sickly prince, Yu Jiao lived in constant fear. Rumor had it the Princess Consort of Yan wouldn’t survive three days. Yu Jiao turned to ask, “How long have we been married?” Chu Yin replied, “Be good, sw 12.9kReads9.3Score1.6kShelves
12. 262 世 The Crown Prince's Consort Turns Dark After Being Reborn 世子妃重生后黑化了 A Drunken Glance at the Glazed Moon一醉琉月Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted [Fake and real heiresses] Chu Miao was born the eldest legitimate daughter of the Chancellor's residence, but her life was switched at birth with a village woman's daughter. When her family finds her, she becomes a pawn of her parents and the imperial family. She is deceived into marrying Xiao Rongjin, the legitimate son of the Prince of Pingnan. Her father-in-law is a war god who has never known 7.4kReads9.1Score1.1kShelves
13. 263 重 Reborn: The Legitimate Daughter Is a Little Poisonous 重生之嫡女有点毒 Orange Grain橙粒Ancient Romance2.1M WordsCompleted “My dear consort, I've been hurt. I'm dying. Give me a kiss!” “Don't worry, Your Highness. I specialize in difficult cases.” The princess consort pulls out a scalpel and sharpens it eagerly. “My dear consort, I'm going to war. The enemy is too strong. What should I do?” “Don't worry, Your Highness. My specialty is killing enemies on the battlefield.” Clad in armor, the princess consort looks magnificent as she cuts down enemies like she is slicing melons. “My... my dear consort, I accidentally b 431Reads8.8Score154Shelves
14. 264 贵 The Noble Consort Is Stunning, and Both Emperor and Empress Fight to Spoil Her 贵妃娘娘真绝色，惹得帝后争相宠 Returning South南归Ancient Romance600k WordsCompleted Yao Ying saves a stranger, never expecting him to be Ying Heng, the emperor’s eldest son. After waking, Ying Heng falls for Yao Ying at first sight. He showers her with concern day after day, and eventually wins her heart. Then he comes to the Yao residence to ask for her hand as his principal consort. Her mother tells her he is no good for her, but she ignores the objections and insists on marrying him. Yet just before he is due to marry her, he takes Su Wanrou, the eldest daughter of Chancello 5kReads9.2Score603Shelves
15. 265 贵 The Noble Consort Rejects Romance: While Others Fight for Favor, I Seize Power 贵妃不入爱河，别人争宠我夺权 Ran Qiqi冉七柒Ancient Romance460k WordsCompleted [Female-Lead Wish Fulfillment + Unfeeling Persona + Ruthless Revenge and Face-Slapping] Years later, the history books would describe Ming Tang as a master strategist with an iron fist, the ultimate winner of the harem struggles and the vast empire. Only Ming Tang knew she had never wanted to be that winner in the first place. From a young girl to the ruler of the realm, all she had wanted at first was to avenge her elder sister. The harem was full of danger. On one side was Consort Jin, who had 7.3kReads9.4Score869Shelves
16. 266 宿 Susu, I’m Spoiled and Blessed with Pregnancy Thanks to the Baby-Making System 宿宿我啊，靠生子系统好孕独宠捏 Joy Year After Year乐及年年Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted Short drama: Bound to a Good Luck System, the Tyrant Dotes on Me Alone [Quick transmigration + stunning heroine + no fixed couple + exclusive, super-sweet romance + living out a full lifetime in each small world + heroine's first world is not chaste, both leads are chaste in all the others] Only after Tea Jiu castrated her target did she realize she'd been bound to a childbearing System. System: "I'm heartbroken. Real heartbreak isn't about making a scene..." Tea Jiu: "My mistake, System. Let me 31.1kReads9.3Score2.7kShelves

    Reader note

    I personally recommend these; you can save them and take a look.

17. 267 带 With a System, I Run Wild in the Qing Palace 带着系统的我在清宫乱窜 Falling in Egypt跌落埃及Ancient Romance320k WordsCompleted Chen Xi woke up to find that something was wrong with the world. She had somehow become the person chosen by the blind-box System. Although she had always dreamed of transmigrating, now that it had actually happened, Chen Xi wanted no part of it, though her refusal was pointless. World One: Consort De, the Uya Clan 3.3kReads8.4Score209Shelves
18. 268 病 The Sickly Princess Is Reborn, and the Tyrannical Regent Dotes on Her 病娇摄政王盛宠，娇娇公主重生了 Clouds Flying Through the Sky云天飞雾Ancient Romance557k WordsCompleted [Adapted into the short drama Golden Bell's Mistake: Love's Bonds] [Mutual firsts + doting romance + both reborn + palace and household intrigue] [Stunning, sweet-natured fifth princess × sinister, obsessive regent] In her previous life, her country fell and her family was destroyed. Then the sinister, obsessive regent kept her by his side for two whole years. Reborn ten years in the past, she is once again the fifth princess, born to wealth and honor, while he is merely a lowly hostage, beneath 11kReads9.4Score1.7kShelves

    Reader note

    They're all pretty good. The one where you switch places with a tyrant is quite funny, and the female lead is very intelligent.

19. 269 和 On the Day We Divorced, a Mad Beauty Snatched Me Away 和离当天，我被疯批美人抢走了 Little White Pile白色小乌堆Ancient Romance311k WordsCompleted Mutual devotion + a rival who gets his comeuppance + happy ending Synopsis One: Jiang Xueci transmigrated into a book, becoming the brainless heroine who still loved the male lead even after he slaughtered her entire family. Jiang Xueci: “Ha...” How is that any different from falling in love with the prime minister of Japan in the real world? Suffer for the male lead and then get back together with him? No way. I'll cling to the antagonist's leg instead. With the story in my hands, either I live 1.4kReads9.2Score169Shelves
20. 270 娘 The Empress Consort Curses the Tyrant Every Day, Yet Becomes the Harem’s Most Beloved 娘娘她天天咒暴君，竟宠冠后宫了 Murong Xiaoxing'er慕容小星儿Ancient Romance274k WordsCompleted [Unhinged, sharp-tongued tyrant + gorgeous, goofy, laid-back favorite consort + devoted, exclusive romance] Su Yaorao transmigrates into a Mary Sue novel as its chief female villain, a bewitching consort who brings ruin to the country. The heroine is a pure-hearted, universally adored savior of the people who will become a virtuous empress. The two enter the palace together to serve the tyrant. The heroine isn’t favored? The original character’s fault. The heroine is poisoned? The original chara 903Reads9.1Score121Shelves
21. 271 病 The Sickly Tyrant Is Always So Sweet and Adorable Around Me 病娇暴君在我面前总是奶凶奶凶的 First Snow in Sixteen Years十六年初雪Ancient Romance223k WordsCompleted [Ridiculously funny and super sweet] The reigning tyrant is moody and bloodthirsty, but in Lin Xianyu's eyes... “It hurts.” The man's pale cheeks flush, his lovely peach-blossom eyes glistening with tears as he glares at her with a fierce, puppyish look. “Be gentle.” Lin Xianyu looks at the tiny scratch on the man's skin. Did someone send her the wrong obsessive tyrant? The tyrant glares at the woman ignoring him. “Empress, if you keep ignoring me, I'll double your workload.” “The empress has wo 629Reads9.2Score104Shelves
22. 272 暴 The Tyrant Gives Me One-on-One Lessons in Palace Infighting 暴君一对一辅导我宫斗 Konghua空花Ancient Romance252k WordsCompleted Everyone says the newly enthroned emperor of the Dayan kingdom is a cruel and brutal tyrant. Song Yin, a transmigrator, thinks that tyrants are supposed to be the type who love beauties more than their kingdoms. So why does this one spend every day plotting how to kill his own concubines? Tyrant: “The women in my harem love power, not me. Keep your head down if you want to survive.” Song Yin: “Understood!” Later Tyrant: “A consort who doesn’t want to be empress isn’t a good consort.” Song Yin: “ 259Reads8.9Score—Shelves
23. 273 被 The Tyrant Dragged Me Back 18 Times, and I'm Pregnant Again 被暴君抓回去18次，我又怀上了 Ninefold Thousand Towers九方千阙Ancient Romance534k WordsCompleted The short drama My Heart Is Weary, the Villain Only Wants Cuddles Every Day is now online. [Unhinged, tyrannical dog emperor] x [sweet, fierce, adorable heartthrob] After Su Ci transmigrates into a book, the mad emperor forces her to absorb his good luck, locks her in his bedchamber, and makes her sleep in his imperial bed. By day, she's a prisoner; by night, she's treated like an empress. She pretends to go along with it, then runs away. By day, the mad emperor is a dog: “Bring that wretched wo 6.9kReads9.4Score865Shelves
24. 274 病 The Possessive Power Minister’s Guide to Spoiling His Wife 病娇权臣宠妻手册 Late Day晚昼Ancient Romance209k WordsCompleted [Transmigrated into a book + super-sweet one-on-one romance + secret identity revealed + supernatural ability + forced to become the villain’s beloved] A straightforward beauty who never stops flirting vs. a charming, laid-back fox of a man Shen Zhixia transmigrated into the body of a doomed cannon-fodder character with a high chance of dying. But she could see whether the threads around people’s wrists were red or black: red meant affection, black meant dislike. And she even had a handsome man 1.7kReads9.2Score195Shelves
25. 275 她 She Swapped Bodies with the Tyrant and Went on a Rampage! 她，与暴君互换后，杀疯啦！ Little Chubby, Run!小胖子快跑Ancient Romance371k WordsCompleted [Soul swap + transmigrate into a book + sweet, funny romance + going off the rails + tyrant + wish fulfillment + both leads are each other's first and only] Yun Yaoyao transmigrated into a book, becoming a foolish, timid cannon-fodder character who doesn't even survive the first chapter. No problem. If my family plots against me, I'll assassinate the emperor and wipe out my own clan! But after killing the emperor, Yun Yaoyao was horrified to discover that she and the tyrant had swapped bodies! T 26.7kReads9.5Score4.4kShelves
26. 276 角 The Courtesan Takes Charge and Fights Against the Odds 角妓当道逆风行 Word Button话扣Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Traditional historical romance + household intrigue + palace intrigue + strong female lead + ...] One careless mistake, and she becomes a courtesan... See how she escapes that life, avenges her family, and even rises to power over the entire court! 26Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The female lead is still quite lucid.

27. 277 苏 Su Tingting's Revenge 苏汀汀复仇记 Read More Books多读书啊Modern Romance125k WordsOngoing This is a story about an unshakable woman and the making over of a playboy. Miss Tingting has two great ambitions: First, defeat Gao Jichuan; Second, defeat Gao Jihai. One is a refined, straightforward, technically minded CEO; the other is a womanizing tycoon. The brothers' empire is a fortress built of gold and jade, but even it can't withstand the wily tactics of Su Tingting, a woman whose charm conceals a s —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Modern palace intrigue 🤭

28. 278 卿 Where Qingyun Meets 卿云见 Little Breeze, Clear Moon小风霁月Ancient Romance205k WordsCompleted Just after she transmigrates, her husband nearly destroys her body to cover up his crime. After barely escaping with her life, she finds that the one who helped her was her husband's younger brother. Is it a political scheme or a transaction? Each takes what they need and relies on their own abilities. How can she carve out a life of her own in this world? 76Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The female lead is intelligent and quick-witted, and everyone has something to say about her; the more you watch, the better it gets.

29. 279 公 Your Highness, Please Be Rational: The Enemy Emperor Who Destroyed Your Kingdom Is a Green Tea 公主殿下请理智，亡国敌君是绿茶 If It Were a Love Song若情歌Ancient Romance375k WordsCompleted Zijun Changqing rose to the throne on the strength of his looks, winning the support of his ministers. At twenty, he was determined to marry Ge Ye Jiaojiao, the beauty renowned across the Seven Kingdoms, and make her his empress. But the beauty already had someone in her heart. When he learned that the man she loved was frail and often ill, he resorted to every kind of scheme, repeatedly sending letters to humiliate him. He meant to break the man's spirit so he could take his place. Who could 7Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This book is good, I don't know why it's not getting any views, it's great 🤭

30. 280 安 An Lingrong Reborn: Where Can I Find Peace? 安陵容重生之：何处是心安 Head-Swinging Giraffe甩头长颈鹿Female-Channel Fanfiction314k WordsOngoing [Reborn + Farming in the Early Stages + Political Scheming + Absurd Comedy] An ensemble story set during the reign of the Fourth Master. It comes from Empresses in the Palace, but it is more than just Empresses in the Palace. Before Kangxi's time was up, the nine princes' struggle for the throne turned brutally bloody. An Lingrong was born after the crown prince had been deposed for the second time, just as the battle among the nine princes began to unfold. The hardworking Fourth Master can't ju 2Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I highly recommend this book, it's amazing! An Lingrong is reborn, starts her own business, and there are multiple storylines and endings. The palace intrigue is surprisingly engaging.

31. 281 通 The Bedchamber Maid 通房丫鬟 Snow on the Cold River寒江雪Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted As a bedchamber maid, Hua Rong has always remembered her place. She mustn't fall in love with her master, let him become addicted to women, or compete with his future young madam for his affections. After finally enduring until age and fading looks let her buy back her freedom, Hua Rong sets her sights on an honest, decent widower and plans to share a simple life with him. But her highborn master pins her to the wall, eyes red, and asks, “You'd rather have that old man than me?” Hua Rong: “...” 2.6kReads9.2Score674Shelves
32. 282 相 On Our Blind Date, the Heir to a Wealthy Family Took Me to Register Our Marriage 相亲当天，豪门继承人拉着我领证 Gu Lingfei古凌菲Modern Romance5.9M WordsOngoing [Sweet romance + Marriage Before Love + male lead pretends to be a pig to eat the tiger] On the day of her blind date, Hai Tong impulsively married a stranger. She thought married life would be ordinary and built on mutual respect. Instead, her new husband turned out to be a clingy human piece of glue. What surprised her most was that whenever she ran into trouble, he would step in and resolve everything with ease. Whenever she asked about it, he always said he was just lucky, until one day she 173.9kReads9.5Score6.7kShelves
33. 283 重 Reborn: One Smile from the Poisonous Consort, and the Fierce Prince's Waist Was Broken 重生毒妃一笑，凶猛残王折了腰 Yun Zheng云筝Ancient Romance2.0M WordsCompleted In her previous life, Su Qingwu trusted a scoundrel and her stepsister. After they turned her against him, she came to deeply resent the man who cherished her with all his heart. Later, her unborn child died in the womb, and she became a barely human medicine experiment, tormented by that pair of vile people for three whole years. To save her, the crippled prince stormed the imperial capital alone, only to be hacked to pieces... Only then did she realize that no one in the world loved her more t 779Reads9.0Score325Shelves
34. 284 软 Soft Waist, Beguiling Bones 软酥腰，娇妾媚骨生香 Meow-Flavored Toffee喵味太妃糖Ancient Romance724k WordsCompleted After one wild night, Song Yihuan was set up by her elder sister and made into a surrogate. No one knew that by day, her elder sister lived in perfect harmony with Ji Lingchuan, heir to Prince Ning, while by night, Song Yihuan took her place, spending the nights in his arms because her sister could not conceive. Song Yihuan thought that once she gave birth, she would finally be free of it all. But the moment the child was born, her sister dropped her virtuous facade and tried to kill the mother 524Reads9.2Score216Shelves
35. 285 外 His Runaway Mistress: The Ruthless Heir Goes Mad 外室跑路，狠厉世子爷他疯了 Enchantingly Bewitching妖里妖气Ancient Romance310k WordsOngoing [Sweet and angsty romance + both leads are devoted to each other + love and hate + physical intimacy before emotional intimacy + possessive love + the male lead desperately tries to win her back] Everyone says Yin Jinse was born under an unlucky star: her family fell into decline, she had a child out of wedlock, and without the Duke of Xian's family honoring their marriage promise, she wouldn't have been worthy of marrying into their family even in eight lifetimes! But the truth is, her husband 6Reads8.1Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I've recommended this book several times already; it's definitely worth investing in! 🥰🥰🥰

36. 286 前 My Ex-Boyfriend Turned into a Dog, and I Became the Crippled Emperor's Cherished One 前男友变成狗，她成了残皇心尖宠 Yan Yue Knows Summer颜玥知夏Ancient Romance122k WordsOngoing [Unmatched Medical and Poison Skills] [Space] [Ex-Boyfriend] [Strong Female Lead] [Strong Male Lead] [Putting Scumbags in Their Place] [Feel-Good Story] [Love Grows Over Time] [Can Read a Dog's Mind] Shen Wanling just wanted to try something thrilling. What did she do wrong? But that thrill sent her and her boyfriend transmigrating to an alternate dynasty together. Her boyfriend, Dadou, turns into a dog, while she becomes an unfavored concubine-born daughter. She's sent to marry a prince who has —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    A fresh and engaging story! A time-travel palace intrigue drama! I'm already hooked! I can't stop reading! It's a bit demanding on my computer though, haha... Highly recommended!

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