Historical Romance, Strong Female Lead, Household Intrigue 古言 大女主 宅斗

1. 1 京 The Capital's Kindest Lady? No, the Wickedest 京城第一善女？不，是恶女 Lie Flat Biscuit躺平小饼干Ancient Romance539k WordsCompleted [Villainess + Revenge + Dog-Training Fiction + Male Rivals Battling It Out + Everyone’s Favorite] Everyone in the capital says that Shen Jinghong, the young madam of the Marquis of Zhongyong’s household, is a celestial being fallen from the heavens. She is breathtakingly beautiful and gentle in temperament. She treats her servants generously, is warm toward friends and family, and smiles at everyone she meets, her words as gentle as a spring breeze through willow branches. She sets up soup kitch 2.6kReads8.2Score419Shelves

   Reader note

   The female protagonist is betrayed by her closest relatives, almost ruining her life. After awakening, she becomes intelligent and uses her ability to rewind time to carefully plot and expose the hypocrisy of the Marquis's mansion and her family, making for an incredibly satisfying counterattack.

2. 2 退 After Breaking Off the Engagement, the Foolish Princess Marries the Ninth Lord with Her Four Maids 退婚后，傻妃携四大丫鬟嫁九千岁 Clingy Little Tomato粘人小番茄Ancient Romance1.8M WordsOngoing [Palace Intrigue + Household Intrigue + Historical Romance + Princess Consort + Legitimate Daughter + Medical Skills + Two Powerful Leads + Cunning + Playing the Fool + Reborn + Fiercely Protective + Political Scheming] 99% of the comments are positive! Read with confidence! Su Qian, once the leader of a special forces unit in the apocalypse, died unexpectedly while carrying out a mission. With her portable medical space, she transmigrated to ancient times and into the residence of a great gener 22.8kReads8.1Score3.8kShelves

   Reader note

   The male and female leads team up: a pure battle of wits where they clash head-on, with no misunderstandings, just a tacit understanding of mutual exploitation. The female lead's amazing ability is captivating: her medical space grants her modern-day superpowers, allowing her to heal and save lives while simultaneously committing murder and robbery. 😄

3. 3 侯 The Marquis's Precious Daughter and Her Good-for-Nothing Husband 侯府明珠与她的纨绔夫君 Yellow Cherry Tomatoes黄色圣女果Ancient Romance567k WordsCompleted On the day of her wedding, Jiang Xuelin ran away from her own marriage, only to receive some good news: her fiancé, Fu Hanlai, heir to the Prince of Ping’s title, was just as unhappy with the match and had run away too. Jiang Xuelin immediately turned her horse around and went back to her boudoir, where she put on her wedding dress and waited to leave. Without a groom, the wedding surely couldn’t go ahead, and her parents couldn’t blame her for it! Unwilling to marry the childhood rival he’ 1.7kReads8.7Score182Shelves

   Reader note

   1. Both the male and female leads have sincere hearts, and it's hard not to envy such love. Although they've only expressed their love for each other once so far, every detail throughout the story reveals their care and love for one another. I was truly moved to tears by the male lead's reactions throughout the female lead's pregnancy process—it's so sweet! 🥰🥰 2. Both leads are intelligent and their characters are well-developed and complex. They are all fleshed-out individuals, without any mindless, vicious female supporting characters or unnecessary rivalries just to advance the plot. It's fantastic!

4. 4 女 The Female Bandit Goes to the Capital to Become an Official and Wins Over the Aloof Emperor 女土匪进京为官，诱拐了清冷陛下 Evening Ripples晚漾Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Sweet historical romance + two powerful leads + devoted to each other + sweet and satisfying + fun and lively + no annoying supporting characters + sensible leads] A super-ferocious, super-rich bandit queen VS a cool, otherworldly beauty of an emperor Jin Sanglu owns thirty mountains of gold and is every inch a bandit queen. After earning military merit, she arrogantly calls out to the court: “If you won’t give me an official post, then make me empress.” The ministers are furious, but they fear 12.4kReads9.4Score1.7kShelves
5. 5 皇 The Empress Is Too Beautiful, the Emperor Is Not Worthy 皇后太美，皇上不配 A Midsummer Day Springs from My Fingertips指尖弹出盛夏Ancient Romance562k WordsCompleted [Transmigrate into a book + sweet romance + both pure] After transmigrating into a book, Jian Xin saved the tyrant and happily volunteered to live in the cold palace. But after only a few lazy days, the tyrant hauled her up and put her to work “Go back to Fengyang Palace and be my empress!” Then she realized something was off. When Consort Bai pulled her close The tyrant wanted to chop off Consort Bai’s hand. When Consort Bai rubbed her face against hers The tyrant wanted to scrub Consort Bai’ 401Reads9.2Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   The first book starts with the female lead being an empress, and the male lead is always very kind to her. I really like their personalities and how they interact, and the author's writing is excellent. The second book has a super beautiful and cool female lead who is also very cunning; it's a great read. [Learned something new]

6. 6 嫡 The Legitimate Daughter Turned Cannon Fodder? Reborn, She Takes Down the System and Steals Her Destiny 嫡女变炮灰？重生干翻系统夺命格 Honeysuckle Vine忍冬藤Ancient Romance830k WordsCompleted [Reborn and crushing the villains, household and palace intrigue, sweet and satisfying romance, fighting the System, inner thoughts] A beautiful, ruthless noblewoman and a cool, restrained, scheming gentleman. Cheng Jiuyuan had enjoyed an easy life from birth. With a maternal grandfather rich enough to rival a kingdom, a father wielding real power, and a fiancé who was heir to the throne, she had everything she needed to run wild in the capital for the rest of her life. Until her engagement was 4kReads9.0Score484Shelves
7. 7 先 Love After Marriage: The Crown Princess Keeps Pretending to Be Good Again and Again 先婚后爱，太子妃又又又又在装乖 I Want to Be a Rich Lady我想当富婆Ancient Romance278k WordsCompleted [Sweet Romance] Song Yao, who was born into this world, got married to Nangong Yi, the notoriously violent crown prince. After their wedding, they acted like a proper couple, treating each other with courtesy and respect. Gradually, Song Yao discovered that the crown prince was nothing like the violent man of the rumors. He was gentle, considerate, and easy to get along with. So she let her true nature out and started doing as she pleased. - At first, when facing the crown prince: Song Yao: gent 21.7kReads9.2Score2.3kShelves

   Reader note

   It's a great show. The female lead transmigrates, and both the male and female leads are incredibly powerful and ruthless.

8. 8 穿 After Reincarnating as a Wretched Old Woman, I Just Want to Live a Laid-Back Life 穿成极品老妇之后只想当咸鱼 Every Inch Is Gold寸寸金Ancient Romance1.6M WordsCompleted The old woman was a real piece of work. She drove her eldest daughter-in-law to her death, then doted on her second son, who passed the highest imperial exam and married the daughter of the prime minister. She even encouraged him to favor his concubine and neglect his wife. In the end, the prime minister had the whole family killed. The old woman suddenly came back reborn, only to be scared to death by what she had experienced in her previous life. Manxing, a promising 25-year-old woman, transmi 31.1kReads9.4Score4.3kShelves

   Reader note

   This is the book I finished reading and found to be a great female-centric domestic drama. My favorite character is the female lead, Manxing, and I especially love their daily battles of wits and courage with her second son. The writing is smooth and makes you want to keep reading.

9. 9 郡 The Commandery Princess Returns to the Capital, So Why Is the Entire Marquis’s Household Dead? 郡主一回京，侯府怎么死光了？ Dancing Sunflower跳舞的向日葵Ancient Romance607k WordsCompleted [Satisfying family-intrigue story + ruthless heroine + face-slapping the villains] Qu Ling was framed by her stepmother and left the Marquis's residence for six years. When she returned to the capital, happiness wasn't waiting for her. Instead, she was driven step by step to the brink of madness. In the end, she went mad and killed everyone in the marquis's household, paying for it with her own life. After coming back to life, Qu Ling took up her knife. She no longer needed to go mad to slaughte 33.3kReads9.2Score4.4kShelves

   Reader note

   They're all great! If you like palace intrigue or historical romance novels, you should check them out!

10. 10 救 Save My Mother, Kill My Scumbag Father: Reborn to Turn the World Upside Down 救亲娘，杀渣爹，重生归来搅翻天 Dancing Sunflower跳舞的向日葵Ancient Romance458k WordsCompleted [A Ruthless Beauty vs. A Gentle Young Lord] Rebirth + Taking Down Scum + Defying Fate + Political Schemes + Heavenly Law + Empress In her previous life, Xu Rusheng, the eldest legitimate daughter of a marquis household and empress in all but name, learned the truth behind her mother and aunt’s deaths. She chose to kill Emperor Zhou Heng and die with him, taking the Zhou family’s empire down with her as her funeral offering. Reborn in the year her mother died, she makes plans at every turn to b 4.6kReads9.0Score554Shelves
11. 11 侯 The Marquis's Estate Forgot Its Gratitude? The Regent Backs Me, and I Won't Forgive Them 侯府忘恩义？摄政王撑腰，不原谅 Chu Diandian初点点Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Luo Ning took a blade meant for the Empress Dowager and suffered severe injuries, trading her life for her family's noble title. She went south to recuperate for three years, but when she returned, she discovered that her maternal cousin had taken over her courtyard. Her cousin had even replaced her in every aspect. Luo Ning's parents and elder brother adored her, her grandmother favored her, and even Luo Ning's childhood sweetheart secretly admired her, saying that she surpassed Luo Ning in eve 180.6kReads9.4Score27kShelves
12. 12 缚 Bound by Spring 缚春情 Ren Huanyou任欢游Ancient Romance603k WordsCompleted [The print edition is available on the homepage; film and television rights have been sold] The Jiang and Song families have been close for generations, and Song Wan was betrothed to Jiang Xingjian before she was even born. They grew up together, but she was confined to the inner quarters, where everything she learned was meant to prepare her to become a Jiang family wife. The young man was dashing and ambitious. Before he had even turned twenty, he went off to the frontier to make his name. Bef 92kReads9.6Score12.3kShelves
13. 13 惹 Why Mess With Her? She's His Majesty's Beloved and His First Wife 惹她干嘛，她是陛下白月光兼发妻 Amidst Misty Rain on the Terrace楼台烟雨中Ancient Romance452k WordsCompleted [A calculating, possessive emperor × a sweet, gentle beauty | devoted to one another | mutual healing | growing-up romance | two hopeless romantics falling for each other~] Jiang Yingli has spent four years as Prince Su’s concubine. Xiao Chenglan, Prince Su, has little interest in women, and she is the only concubine in his household, so her life is peaceful and carefree. She thinks things will stay that way, but then Prince Su ascends the throne. Overnight, she rises from a lowly concubine of P 56.1kReads8.9Score6.5kShelves
14. 14 继 The Second Empress 继后 Cai Wangwang菜汪汪Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted The Noble Consort was favored, the Worthy Consort bore a son, the Bright Etiquette was the emperor’s white moonlight, and the Beautiful Consort was his cinnabar mole. Every other concubine had her own talents and charms. It was a whole garden in full bloom. So who was our protagonist? The unfavored empress, with no children and no powerful family backing. Great. Why did this plot feel so familiar? Never mind. On the first day Zhao Wumian transmigrated here, she decided to lie flat. Compete for t 81.1kReads9.5Score9.1kShelves
15. 15 嫁 Marrying the Imperial Tutor 嫁帝师 Changshanli长山里Ancient Romance560k WordsCompleted [When a Scheming Black-Bellied Type Meets a Sweet-on-the-Outside, Dark-on-the-Inside Type + Love and Hate + Soul Swap + Revenge, Traditional Historical Romance in an Imaginary Setting] Jiang Wanzhi first met Song Qingshi when she was fourteen. At sixteen, she became Mrs. Song. Everyone said she was lucky: a merchant’s daughter had married a top-scoring scholar. That is, until she died under mysterious circumstances on the very night Song Qingshi asked her for a divorce. When she awoke again, she 27.8kReads9.3Score4.3kShelves
16. 16 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 85.4kReads9.3Score10.9kShelves

    Reader note

    These three palace intrigue and domestic drama novels are all quite good.

17. 17 穿 After I Transmigrated Into a Book, Five Little Villains Doted on Me 穿书后，我被五个小反派娇宠了 Awakening in Another Dimension异次元觉醒Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted The short drama adapted from this book, The Princess Is Born Stubborn, Raising Children and Wielding Imperial Power, Is No Problem, is now streaming <(*￣▽￣*)/ [Everyday life raising children in ancient times + a wealthy, powerful princess who can do as she pleases + a wickedly handsome male lead with overwhelming martial prowess + devoted 1v1 romance] Qin Yaoguang transmigrates into a book as the wicked stepmother of five little villains. Ten years later, they will carve her into a human swine 4.2kReads9.2Score692Shelves
18. 18 快 Quick Transmigration: The Seductive Green Tea Siren's Climb to Power Through Childbearing 快穿：尤物绿茶精的生子上位记 Yi Zhi Luan亦枝鸾Ancient Romance783k WordsCompleted Liu Ruofu was once the Hibiscus Flower Goddess of the Ninth Heaven. She is sent to the mortal realm to live in place of innocent women who were framed and met tragic, untimely deaths. She must also win over men destined to have no children and bear offspring for them. Each small world is its own separate story. The heroine is stunningly beautiful, and her personality varies from world to world. World One: A scheming concubine wins over a crown prince whose heart belongs to someone else World Two 9.1kReads8.0Score555Shelves

    Reader note

    The first book is a quick transmigration novel, it's good. The second book is probably a rebirth and transmigration novel.

19. 19 皇 After the Emperor Fell for Her, the Empress Died of Illness 皇上沦陷后娘娘病逝了 Yun Xirui云熙芮Ancient Romance471k WordsCompleted Ye Qinyao, the eldest daughter of the Ye family, transmigrated into the body of a commandery princess in the Dongwu kingdom. To return home, she had to fulfill the original owner's wish. Everyone in the capital knew that Commandery Princess Yong'an was noble and stunningly beautiful, but frail in health. The imperial physicians had once declared that she would not live past twenty. Later, when word spread that Commandery Princess Yong'an was to marry into Xilin, everyone thought she would have a 705Reads7.4Score100Shelves
20. 20 太 The Crown Prince Dotes on His Concubine and Neglects His Wife: The Empress's Daily Life After Bearing Twins 太子宠妾灭妻，娘娘双胎上位日常 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance554k WordsCompleted [There are a few typos, so please skip this if that bothers you.] A deranged, ruthless heroine and an obsessive Crown Prince, with exclusive devotion later on, clear-headed palace intrigue, and multiple births. Jiang Shiruo is stunningly beautiful, but only a concubine’s daughter. Still, even a concubine’s daughter deserves to live. Jiang Shiruo has no interest in the other princes. She only wants to enter the Eastern Palace, because that’s the only way she can reach the highest position. After 7.7kReads8.9Score676Shelves

    Reader note

    These two books are absolutely amazing! They completely blow away all the other "Concubine" novels. They're incredibly good, go for it without hesitation!!! If you don't like them, come back and spit on me!

21. 21 疯 Mad Empress: I’ll Be the Harem’s Number One White Lotus 疯批皇后，争做后宫第一白莲花 Luo Zhi洛枝Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted [Transmigration into a fictional setting + highly intelligent heroine in palace intrigue + face-slapping + a volatile, multifaceted personality + not a clean romance] Lin Junxue transmigrated to the Xie Dynasty, an era that had never existed in history, and ended up as an unloved empress who had no idea how she died. She’d thought she was a powerless, unloved empress, but it turned out the original owner’s father was a first-rank military marquis, a loyal servant of the court for three generatio 24kReads9.1Score2.7kShelves
22. 22 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 142kReads9.7Score108kShelves

    Reader note

    Those who like completed novels can start reading now.

23. 23 为 After Giving Up Going Back to the Modern World for Him, He Brought His Pregnant Wife Home 为他放弃回现代后，他携孕妻入府 Sang A桑阿Ancient Romance335k WordsCompleted [The husband chases his wife after losing her + the second male lead takes the place of the first + devoted couple] Yu Chu fell in love with her assigned target and gave up the chance to return home, choosing to stay in the world of the mission. She thought they would grow old together, sharing a lifetime of love. But in their third year of marriage, he brought a young woman before her. “Qingtang is carrying my child.” “She is the youngest daughter of the Duke of Protecting the Nation. It would 3.1kReads8.9Score265Shelves
24. 24 岁 Spring's Joy, Year After Year 岁岁春欢 I Really Love Little Crabs超爱小螃蟹Ancient Romance669k WordsCompleted [The print edition of Years of Spring Joy is now available on all platforms] [Heroine and scumbag reborn + male lead transmigrates + mutual salvation + play the pig to eat the tiger] At seventeen, Shen Jiasui married Lu Yunzheng. The Shen and Lu families were both military dynasties, making them a formidable match. Two years into their marriage, Lu Yunzheng defeated the enemy kingdom and won renown across the land. But the Shen family was condemned for treason and executed to the last member. On 266.6kReads9.6Score31.2kShelves
25. 25 孤 Lone Kite 孤鸢 Zhuang the Great Blade庄大刀Ancient Romance481k WordsCompleted The dashing and radiant “Young General of the Border City” fell from grace overnight, becoming a sickly orphan in the capital. The lecherous old marquis coveted her, her refined and well-mannered “cousin” from the main household forced himself on her, and a cultivated scholar from a poor family slandered her... As a young cousin living under someone else's roof, her beauty became her original sin. Zhao Yuan said that if she became his wife, he would protect her, even if he did not love her. But 438Reads8.7Score102Shelves
26. 26 和 After Our Divorce, I Remarried a Rugged General, While My Ex-Husband Began His Road to Redemption 和离再嫁糙汉将，前夫开启火葬场 Yao Yao Xian摇摇闲Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [Manhua adaptation and full-cast audiobook now available] [A goofy, devoted, rough-and-tumble hero + male lead is the focus + sweet romance + traditional historical romance + ex-husband regrets everything] After marrying the all-powerful regent, Song Ying felt her life had been worthwhile. After the wedding, she took charge of the inner household and devoted herself to her duties, always thinking of and caring for Yue Shaozhi. She had thought she could warm her cold husband's heart, but in the e 15.8kReads8.9Score920Shelves
27. 27 为 For the Sake of Marrying My Cousin 为了和表妹成亲 Recognizing Flowers at Dawn朝花夕识Ancient Romance416k WordsCompleted Ye Wanning was reborn as an orphan forced to live under someone else's roof, with only her unparalleled beauty to her name. In her previous life, she had been born into a noble family. Her childhood friend was a talented scholar from Sanjiang who silently protected her; her fiancé was a junior minister at the Court of Judicial Review who landed in prison for her sake; and the crown prince had fallen in love with her at first sight. Then all three stood by and let her father and brothers die. Reb 14.1kReads9.2Score1.8kShelves
28. 28 惹 Offending the Imperial Daughter 惹金枝 Kong Liu空留Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted (Film and television rights have been sold. The physical book will be available for preorder on July 10 at 19:00.) Shi Buyu was born smiling. At that moment, lightning flashed and thunder roared, collapsing a row of outbuildings in the Shi family compound. Days of torrential rain brought devastating floods and countless victims. Rumors soon spread through the capital that she was a disaster star sent into the world. But she was as precocious as a demon, with a photographic memory, and learned bo 257.8kReads9.7Score30.2kShelves

    Reader note

    It's definitely a story with a strong female lead, but it's not about palace intrigue; it's about political maneuvering within the imperial court, a legitimate effort to set things right.

29. 29 穿 Transmigrated as a Treacherous Minister's Legitimate Daughter, She Plays the Part to Perfection 穿成奸臣嫡女，她本色出演 Garlic Bamboo Shoots蒜香竹笋Ancient Romance565k WordsCompleted [Transmigrate into a book + Career-focused early on + Sweet romance + One-on-one romance + Both leads are devoted to each other] [Two-faced, ruthless minister's daughter × Wild, formidable iron-faced general] The ruler of the business world transmigrates into a book overnight, becoming the daughter of the treacherous chancellor. She throws her weight around and commits every kind of evil, with the label “vicious supporting female character” practically branded onto her. She's madly pursuing the 86.4kReads9.6Score11.3kShelves

    Reader note

    The story features a strong female lead who engages in palace intrigue and domestic drama, but is not overly saintly. All characters are intelligent, and there are no mindless villains.

30. 30 恶 Reborn After My Own Son, the Cruel Empress Dowager, Stabbed Me to Death 恶毒太后被亲儿子捅死之后重生了 Ink墨色Ancient Romance1.9M WordsCompleted The vicious Empress Dowager Jiang Mingzhu was reborn. In her previous life, to put her son on the throne, she poisoned and tried to assassinate the emperor, colluded with court officials, drugged a pregnant consort to make her miscarry, and plotted against the young crown prince. Every time she schemed, she put her own life on the line to grind her stepson's face into the dirt. But when the plot to put the son she'd worked so hard to support on the throne was exposed, he stabbed her in the back 19.6kReads8.8Score2.1kShelves

    Reader note

    Looks good 🥰

31. 31 开 From the Start, All I Had Was a Trash System: A College Girl Takes on the Palace Schemes 开局一个破系统，女大学生闯宫斗 Ruqi濡祈Ancient Romance418k WordsCompleted [Household and Palace Intrigue + No Naive Doormat Heroine + Rise to Power + Sweet and Satisfying] Also known as: Everyone Has to Kneel Before Me? A university student who knows palace-intrigue dramas inside out transmigrates, and the empress’s throne is practically in her grasp! She transmigrates into the Forbidden City, only to find herself a lowly palace maid! What a disastrous start. Luckily, she has a System to help her. But you’re saying my ultimate mission is to become empress? Me? Empress 612Reads8.2Score107Shelves
32. 32 穿 Transmigrating into Dream of the Red Chamber: I'm Daiyu's Sister and the Empress! 穿越红楼：我！黛玉她姐！皇后！ Zheng Li筝黎Female-Channel Fanfiction805k WordsCompleted [Not a mutually devoted couple + a tool character + read the content warnings first] Lin Wen, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, was born amid the auspicious sign of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix. By imperial decree, she is to become the Crown Prince's consort once she comes of age. When Shushu woke, she found herself adrift in a vast ocean. Now and then, she could faintly hear people talking outside. It made her feel so peaceful that she drifted back to sleep. When she woke a 1.5kReads7.2Score175Shelves
33. 33 重 She Was Reborn and Stole My Match, So I Married into the Harem and Went on a Rampage 重生抢我姻缘，我嫁到后宫杀疯了 Xue'er雪儿Ancient Romance651k WordsCompleted Ye Wanchen and her legitimate older sister were both reborn. In her previous life, her older sister entered the palace as a consort, only to die deep in the palace after plotting to harm the emperor’s child. Ye Wanchen married an unfavored prince. She carefully plotted at every turn to put him on the throne, only to be stabbed by the person dearest to her and die within the palace walls. Now that they had another chance at life, her older sister wanted to switch marriages and take over her fate? 324Reads7.3Score—Shelves
34. 34 嫁 Marry into a Playboy Royal Family and Become the Most Glorious Mistress of the House 嫁皇家纨绔，做风光主母 Such Moonlit Romance如许风月Ancient Romance331k WordsCompleted After transmigrating ten years ago, Wei Qingrou used her skills and pretty face to become the tofu beauty of the market. She and her widowed mother and younger brother lived frugally and saved up to buy a little shop. She thought that among all the lights shining in people’s homes, at last one would shine for her. Who could have guessed that one word from the rich and powerful, “untouchable,” would give them the perfect excuse to drag her and her family back to the estate? With their lives at st 12Reads6.7Score—Shelves
35. 35 娘 The Consort Is All Charm and Cunning, Scheming Her Way to the Top 娘娘又茶又媚，一路宫斗上位 Tea Little Ink茶小墨Ancient Romance835k WordsCompleted Signed for print publication In the third year of the Yifeng era, a concubine-born daughter of the Ningyang Marquis’s household enters the palace. The palace is a vast, treacherous place, where the one thing you must never do is give your heart away. Ning Shuyan is clear-eyed: she wants wealth and prestige, along with the emperor’s favor. For three years, she carefully plots each step, wins the emperor’s attention, and rises from Talented Lady to Noble Consort. Rumor has it that the emperor only 56.9kReads9.5Score7.1kShelves

    Reader note

    You could try palace intrigue novels; they're all completed works!

36. 36 你 Didn't You Say She Was Old and Out of Favor? 你不是说她年纪大，不得宠吗？ I'm Xingxing Da我是星星大Ancient Romance590k WordsCompleted [Palace and household intrigue + raising children + food + everyday life + not chaste, but doted on] Su Tang transmigrated into the body of a concubine of Xiao Jingrong, Heir of the Prince of Zhaonan, with a two-year-old toddler in tow. The original owner had let herself go, behaved crudely, and was even older than the heir. He had long since forgotten her, leaving her to languish in a corner. Su Tang figured that was just fine. She wouldn’t compete for his favor or make the first move. But then 20.4kReads8.8Score2kShelves
37. 37 贵 The Noble Consort Is Cool and Aloof, and the Emperor Yearns for Her Night After Night 贵妃清冷，圣上夜夜相思 Que Ling Yan Zi雀翎宴子Ancient Romance448k WordsCompleted Shen Qinghe was in the bloom of youth when she entered the palace, where she weathered its intrigues for more than a decade. She had hoped to leave with a reward one day, or perhaps spend her whole life peacefully as a palace official. But then an order came down, and one day she unexpectedly became an imperial consort. She watched these women fight day after day, never expecting to become entangled in their schemes herself. Shen Qinghe could only sigh. He was the emperor, and she was a palac 13.1kReads9.1Score1.2kShelves
38. 38 娘 One Tear from the Empress, and She Acts Her Way to the Emperor's Throne 娘娘一滴泪，演到帝王送凤位 Little Peeled Egg剥壳的小蛋蛋Ancient Romance589k WordsCompleted [Story complete; easy to get around] Shen Qingfu transmigrated into a rebirth novel. The reborn heroine, Chu Can, had grown up with the crown prince, Ning Xuanli, as his childhood sweetheart. Given a second chance at life, she wanted no love, only power and riches. To become the most special person in the crown prince’s heart, she played hard to get. She had schemes, but no feelings. Shen Qingfu was nothing more than the most insignificant cannon fodder in the rebirth novel. Shen Qingfu gave a s 306Reads9.1Score—Shelves
39. 39 敌 I Turned the Enemy Nation's Crown Prince to Our Side 敌国太子被我策反了 A Few Sprigs of Autumn聊赠几枝秋Ancient Romance520k WordsCompleted [A clever, scheming foreign princess] × [A warm, calculating, autocratic crown prince] A marriage contract bound two strangers together. The Crown Prince of Jin was breathtakingly handsome, as graceful as a pine tree, and unmoved by Jiang Xuan’s advances. She tried an unconventional approach, hoping to attract him with her headstrong nature, but all she got was a stack of books to copy as punishment. She tried being gentle and ingratiating, only to spend long nights alone. In the end, she threw 354Reads7.2Score—Shelves
40. 40 出 Three Years Married and Still Untouched, One Flirt from the Prince and She's Pregnant with Multiples 出嫁三年仍完璧，皇叔一撩就多胎 Zhuchuan Xue竹川雪Ancient Romance645k WordsCompleted [Reborn, sweet romance and a happy ending, one-on-one and mutually devoted, face-slapping and punishing scumbags, marriage before love, a long-planned romance] Shen Chuli never imagined in a million years that Huo Yuan, her impossibly aloof younger uncle, had secretly loved her for ten years. After she married his nephew, Huo Yuan gave her the very best of everything, even though she loathed and avoided him. But in her previous life, she not only ruined her own life, she also dragged him into —Reads—Score—Shelves
41. 41 宠 The Beloved Consort Faked Her Death and Returned, Leaving the Devoted Emperor in Tears 宠妃死遁归来，痴情帝王哭红眼 Meiya美芽Ancient Romance275k WordsCompleted [Gentle Yandere Emperor vs. Airheaded Beauty and His Beloved Consort] After successfully winning over the cold, calculating emperor, Shen Xiang choked up before he left to lead his army in person. “Without Your Majesty, I’ll be heartbroken to death.” Chu Ye sat coldly atop his horse, tossed her the Imperial Seal, and rode off without even giving her a hug. On the day he returned in triumph, Shen Xiang faked her death and went back to her original world. She had just hooked a sweet, innocent y 2.5kReads7.6Score167Shelves
42. 42 重 Reborn in the Dragon Bed, the Beloved Consort Cries in the Emperor's Arms 重生在龙塌，宠妃抱着陛下哭 Staggering Along蹒跚行Ancient Romance461k WordsCompleted [A spoiled, sweetly obedient favorite consort VS a gentle, jade-like emperor who's sweet on the outside and ruthless within (they are not each other's first, but he dotes on her exclusively from the beginning to the end)] Jiang Shuyi's life as a favorite consort went smoothly for fifteen years. The emperor was gentle and benevolent, doting on her without restraint, and not a single woman in the harem dared challenge her. But she was blind to her own sister's treachery. In the end, her closest 100.7kReads9.2Score11.2kShelves

    Reader note

    It's very beautiful, and it gives me an indescribable feeling of satisfaction.

43. 43 主 The Matriarch Worked Herself to Death, Then Was Reborn to Raise the Kids and Take It Easy 主母操劳而死，重生后养崽摆烂了 Watermelon Juice西瓜汁汁Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [Both reborn + swapped lives + household matriarch + stepmother raising children + physician consort + powerful heroine and satisfying revenge + inner-family strife + adorable children] Shen Qinglan discovered that she and Shen Qingli had both been reborn! In her previous life, Shen Qinglan married into the Li family of Longxi and helped the second branch's eldest son rise to success, until he became a high-ranking official and she lived in splendor! Shen Qingli had only recently married into th 4.7kReads8.9Score706Shelves

    Reader note

    The female protagonist of this book is very independent and clear-headed, a true female lead. Her three little ones are also adorable and well-behaved under her care; I really like them. The female protagonist isn't the kind of omnipotent heroine with a special ability; rather, she relies more on her own efforts and memories from her past life. She's courageous and resourceful, not just confined to domestic power struggles, and has her own ambitions and ideals.

44. 44 我 I’m Sweet and Well-Behaved, So Why Am I the Harem’s Only Favorite? 我又乖又美，独宠后宫怎么了？ Yi Jiu Lu宜久录Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Sweet Romance + Harem + No Angst] A lively, stunning beauty + a devastatingly handsome, love-struck good emperor. (He’s love-struck but knows right from wrong) (No cutthroat palace intrigue) (Not a devoted couple) (Fast-paced) (Heroine’s halo) Ji Wanqing transmigrates into the harem of the Emperor of Yan and becomes a low-ranking concubine. The moment she arrives, the arrogant Consort slaps her. The Consort is bad enough, and the Empress is no better, using her to stoke the Consort’s anger. Wit 4.1kReads9.2Score447Shelves

    Reader note

    These three are all palace intrigue stories, but none feature a strong female lead. They're not entirely virginal in the beginning, but later the female lead monopolizes the harem's affections. There's also a sweet little story.

45. 45 娇 The Pretty Palace Maid's Step-by-Step Rise to Empress 娇娇宫女，步步为后 Three Days in the Capital三日京Ancient Romance574k WordsCompleted [Palace intrigue / not both partners’ first time / devoted love in the later story / not a strong heroine; the female lead cries easily and isn’t particularly clever, so don’t expect too much!] After three years in the palace, Yue Li has worked carefully and waited for a chance at promotion. Just before she is promoted, a palace maid sharing her room is sentenced to death for offending a consort. Thunder crashes and rain pours that night as blood spatters everywhere. Terrified, Yue Li cannot sle 24.5kReads9.3Score11.5kShelves
46. 46 娘 The Empress Is Sweet and Alluring, Winning Favor and Rising to Power 娘娘娇软妩媚，一路争宠上位 Bell Meow铃铛喵Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted (A pure palace-intrigue story, not a one-on-one romance, and not a mutually faithful pairing. Proceed with caution!) Bai Ruotang is the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Right Chancellor’s household. At fifteen, just after coming of age, she is sent into the palace to bear a child for her legitimate elder sister and help her secure the emperor’s favor. Unwilling to be reduced to someone else’s pawn, from the moment she steps through the palace gates, she decides she will carve out 10.3kReads8.9Score1kShelves
47. 47 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 87.6kReads9.5Score9.7kShelves

    Reader note

    "I entered the palace to become Empress, otherwise what am I supposed to do, cook for others?" — 1 2. Super exciting palace intrigue. Warning: The female lead transmigrates and knows the entire plot. She is determined from beginning to end to enter the palace and become a person of high status, but she does not take immediate action, allowing the male lead to fall in love with the female supporting character and marry her, and then she enters the Eastern Palace.

48. 48 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 118kReads9.5Score11.2kShelves
49. 49 妻 The Elusive Wife: After the Princess Consort Turns Dark 妻难寻：王妃黑化后 Tangli Candy棠里糖Ancient Romance792k WordsCompleted [The Ex-Wife Chase from Hell + Rekindled Romance + Devoted 1v1 + Satisfying Revenge + A Glorious Mess of Melodrama] Gu Lingzhao met the capital's most unruly and unmanageable Ninth Prince when she was twelve. He was domineering and arrogant, but he never treated her cruelly. So she trusted him without hesitation, and through years of companionship and care, she never once doubted his sincerity. Until the night of their wedding, when disaster struck the Gu family. In the chaos, she accidentally 1.5kReads6.4Score105Shelves

    Reader note

    The female protagonists in these books are all quite strong. 🤭

50. 50 帝 The Emperor's Wife 帝王妻 Shadow in the Mirror镜中影Ancient Romance355k WordsCompleted She was once a sly, sharp-witted fish in the martial world, riding the crests of the waves and swimming wherever she pleased. Her friends teasingly called her the “Demon Fish,” and she even dared to provoke a monstrous shark. She thought that the wealthy marquis's household would have nothing to do with her in this life. But when her serene and kind elder sister suddenly died in the imperial palace, the circumstances surrounding her death were deeply troubling. With no choice, she donned the pho 196Reads9.0Score—Shelves

Other lists with The Capital's Kindest Lady? No, the Wickedest