Looking for Intrigue in the Inner Quarters or Imperial Harem, Where the Male Lead Loves the Female Lead Even Though He Knows She’s No Good 求男主知道女主不是好人也很爱的宅斗、宫斗

1. 101 踹 Dump the Romance Hero, Seduce the Emperor from a Male-Oriented Novel 踹掉言情男主，勾搭男频帝王 You Gongyu尤宫羽Ancient Romance553k WordsCompleted [Transmigrate into a book, revenge, scheming, stunning heroine, seductive mastermind] The short drama His Heart on a String is now streaming! Shen Yuling transmigrated into a romance novel as its heroine. Unfortunately, she was a heroine whose luck had been stolen by a woman who transmigrated into the story. She would die in a fire, taking her unborn child with her, while her entire family would be wiped out. It was a fate the original heroine had failed to change, even after being reborn twice 17kReads9.2Score2.3kShelves
2. 102 不 You Don't Like a Slender Waist and a Soft, Delicate Beauty? My Words Say No, but My Heart Says Yes! 不喜细腰娇软？是朕口是心非！ You Gongyu尤宫羽Ancient Romance406k WordsCompleted [Unhinged emperor × clear-eyed beauty | powerful man, gentle woman | forced love | white moonlight | imprisonment | amnesia | chasing his wife] In a dream, Mu Zhuohua glimpsed her own life. Her childhood sweetheart, Crown Prince Xiao Junyi, who had promised to marry her, would send her away to marry another kingdom. Helian Xiao, the emperor of Ziyuan whom she would marry, would go on to unite the realm. After waking, she resolved to stop being the girl who waited in vain for her childhood sweeth 7.1kReads8.9Score815Shelves
3. 103 侧 The Side Consort Is Sweet and Gentle, and the Coldhearted Crown Prince Can't Get Enough 侧妃娇软，薄情太子轻点宠 Just Like This就酱籽Ancient Romance559k WordsCompleted [Transmigrate into a Book + Palace Intrigue + Plot Buff + HE + Both Leads Are Sexually Inexperienced + Male Lead Is Coldhearted and Applies Double Standards] [Content warnings: The heroine is no saint + she forces the male lead to remain sexually inexperienced + the male lead is utterly lovestruck] The second after Yu Li received the Best Newcomer Award, she transmigrated into a palace-intrigue novel. She became Shen Lichu, a disposable supporting female character with nothing but beauty and fam 298Reads9.0Score—Shelves
4. 104 一 Before I Knew It, His Majesty Was Helping Me Fight My Household Battles 一不小心，陛下他下场帮我宅斗了 A Touch Of Green On Junshan君山一点青Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted An accident causes Cui Lingyao and the reigning emperor, Pei Jie, to swap souls. On the fifteenth of every month, each must spend a day in the other's body. One side is the chaotic Earl's residence, with a reborn younger cousin, an aunt harboring dark intentions, an uncle shrouded in secrets, and a grandmother who loves to smooth things over. The other is the imperial court, where the empress dowager holds power, Prince Xin is ambitious, the emperor's personal attendant has already defected, an 10.8kReads8.9Score1.5kShelves
5. 105 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
6. 106 归 The Return 归来 Yu Lili御梨梨Modern Romance352k WordsCompleted At the age of ten, Qin Zhi took credit for her older sister’s achievement. From then on, she became the apple of Pei Jiyan’s eye. He was the heir to the immensely powerful Pei family. Pei Jiyan spoiled her rotten. Watching her sister’s face fall, Qin Zhi pressed her lips together and smiled. Anything her sister liked, she would take for herself. * The year Qin Zhi went abroad, Young Master Pei, usually so untouchably proud, sat in a wheelchair with reddened eyes, clutching the hem of her skirt. 10.2kReads8.9Score755Shelves

   Reader note

   1. This is a story about a "vicious female supporting character" from her perspective. The female lead is not a pure egoist; she will stop at nothing to achieve her goals, and her possessiveness is strong, even somewhat pathological. After the male lead and the female lead get together, the female lead has several other relationships and is not physically faithful to the male lead, but he still favors her greatly. 👍👍 2. The female lead is not a pushover; she survives in the complex environment of a noble family through her own wisdom and methods. The male lead is loyal to his feelings and supports the female lead. Even after learning about some of her ways, he still deeply loves her. [Learned][Learned] 3. Xie Xinglan transmigrates into the body of the male lead Lu Jing's childhood sweetheart, but the male lead's spirit only recognizes her. Even knowing that Xie Xinglan is different from the original owner and may not even be a "good person," the male lead still favors her greatly. 🥰🥰🥰

7. 107 救 Help! The Male Lead Can't Get Enough of Me! 救命！男主他非我不可了！ Salted Fish Biscuit in a Tree树上的咸鱼饼干Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Transmigrating into a Book + Sweet Romance + Interstellar + Strong Female Lead + Childhood Friends Xie Xinglan transmigrates into the childhood friend of the male lead. At first, she secretly loves him, works herself to the bone for his sake, and eventually watches him end up with the female lead who appears out of nowhere. Then she has the misfortune of being abducted by the Zerg, and her fate remains unknown. Knowing she has transmigrated into a book, Xie Xinglan looks at the male lead in fron 25.5kReads9.1Score2.6kShelves
8. 108 母 Becoming Empress of the Realm by Pretending to Be the Chancellor's Widowed Sister-in-Law 母仪天下，从冒充丞相寡嫂开始 Luo Chunshui洛春水Ancient Romance630k WordsCompleted [Revenge + Face-Slapping the Scum + Lighthearted + Sweet Romance] When you’re out in the world, you can choose your own identity. To infiltrate high society and avenge the massacre of her sister’s family, Feng Qingsui decides to pose as the distant cousin of a prestigious household. But just as she’s about to seek their help, the household she picked is raided by the Imperial Guards. She tries another family. Raided. Then another. Raided again. At her wit’s end, she knocks on the door of the “Pr 24kReads9.4Score4kShelves

   Reader note

   [Revenge + Scumbag Retribution + Sweet Romance + Palace Intrigue] In the world of the living, one's identity is self-determined. The female protagonist infiltrates high society to avenge the massacre of her sister's family. The female lead isn't a saint; the plot is logically sound and fast-paced, making it utterly captivating.

9. 109 长EN After the Grand Princess Is Reborn, the Chief Grand Secretary Can No Longer Sit Still 长公主重生后，首辅大人坐不住了 Dong Chichi董迟迟Ancient Romance476k WordsCompleted [Rebirth + Political Intrigue + Powerful Hero and Heroine + Plenty of Foreshadowing + Serious Ensemble Cast] [Charming, Alluring, Sweet-Natured Yet Cunning Eldest Princess + Autocratic, Possessive Chief Grand Secretary] [Important: This is NOT a wish-fulfillment novel!!!] As a princess, Zhao Huiluan lived in luxury and honor, yet died in the prime of her life. Reborn, she finally realized that all the countless honors and favors she had once been proud of were nothing but illusions. Power is saf 5.4kReads9.2Score744Shelves
10. 110 劣 Inferior Seduction 劣等勾引 Shi E 12释厄12Modern Romance1.5M WordsCompleted The Scheming Maid's Road to Revenge The first time Shen Luo met Han Shu, she was his friend's maid and pet, timid and meek. A little over half a month later, when he saw her again, she was his friend's father's companion, dressed to the nines at a gala and dazzling the entire room. By the third time they met, she had become his uncle's fiancée. She had leaped three ranks in status, rising from a live-in maid at the very bottom of society to the wife of a powerful multinational corporation's bos 5.8kReads9.4Score696Shelves

    Reader note

    The second book is modern. The female lead in the first book is definitely not a good person. The female lead in the second book is ruthless and extremely goal-oriented, using any means necessary to achieve her goals. The female lead in the fourth book is a time-traveling heroine who becomes a "bad person" in order to survive in the palace, and she's not a saint. The female lead in the fifth book is solely focused on revenge, and in the process of completing her missions, she's a clear-headed woman who skillfully manipulates men's hearts, making all the men believe that she only loves him.

11. 111 娇 So Pure and Innocent as a White Lotus, How Could She Be Scheming to Seduce Him? 娇娇纯净似白莲，怎会心机引诱？ Melon Egg瓜蛋Ancient Romance536k WordsCompleted [A femme fatale schemes for power, leading the hero step by step into ruin.] Jiang Yueyao is ruthless and destined to become empress. She first meets the emperor at a palace banquet. She is the most favored concubine of a minister, and after a palace consort publicly humiliates her, she drops to her knees and pleads for mercy, looking heartbreakingly beautiful beneath the dazzling palace lanterns. She meets the emperor for the second time in the study at her residence. Frantically fleeing her hu 4kReads9.0Score425Shelves
12. 112 野 Wild and Free Little Orchid: The Coldhearted Prince Falls for Her First 野浪小兰花，冷情王爷他先动心了 The Madam Smiled夫人笑了Ancient Romance499k WordsCompleted [Cool, aloof hero who falls hard and falls first; both leads are virgins; transmigration; pocket dimension; no strong female lead, no palace intrigue] The doomsday war goddess Lu Jiuwan died on the first day the light returned... 1 The quiet, graceful, seductive Princess Consort who killed without blinking woke up one day with a completely different personality. Princess Consort: Want to do it? Cold-hearted Prince: Insolence! A moment later, the cold-hearted Prince was in disarray... 2 With her 37.8kReads9.3Score5.3kShelves
13. 113 君 The Emperor Claims His Minister's Wife? After Our Divorce, I Take the Empress's Seat 君夺臣妻？和离后我入主中宫 Huang Dandan黄蛋蛋Ancient Romance503k WordsCompleted [One-on-one romance, devoted couple, palace and household intrigue, reborn male lead, heroine who grows stronger over time, gentle heroine in the early stages who rises to power later, male rival gets the girl] In accordance with her father's dying wish, Yi Huan married the young general Lin Qingpei. She was cautious at every turn, but her husband doted on his concubines and neglected his wife, making her the laughingstock of the capital. Yi Huan thought this was how her life would go, until she 4.8kReads9.2Score590Shelves
14. 114 公 Your Highness, You Mustn’t 公主，不可以 Lady Huahua花花大人呀Ancient Romance293k WordsCompleted Everyone says that Wen, the chief councilor of the Shang Kingdom, is refined and gentle, a rare gentleman. But in Shang Rou's eyes, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing, a master of playing dumb to catch his prey, and, on top of that, an old scoundrel. Princess Shang Rou has been pampered all her life. When she learns she's to be sent away for a political marriage, she secretly seeks advice from the chief councilor, who was once her teacher. His plan? Use every trick in the book to seduce him, and ke 14.7kReads8.7Score1.8kShelves
15. 115 嫁 After Marrying My Childhood Friend's Cousin, My Husband Fights the Inner-Residence Battles for Me 嫁给竹马表哥后，夫君替我去宅斗 Ji Qiushan积丘山Ancient Romance234k WordsCompleted [Traditional historical romance + childhood sweethearts + married from the start + lighthearted, sweet romance] Gentle, clever official’s daughter VS domineering, calculating merchant’s son Shen Tang, daughter of a low-ranking official, marries her stepmother’s nephew, her childhood sweetheart and cousin, Qi Huaijing. With their families’ unequal status, an unkind mother-in-law, powerful half-brothers, and a young cousin in the capital who was once considered as a match for him, Shen Tang prepar 19.7kReads9.2Score2.4kShelves

    Reader note

    Completed novel, featuring a clean-living couple and intense domestic power struggles.

16. 116 折 Spring Breeze, Broken to Pieces 折尽春风 Shi Jin是今Ancient Romance280k WordsCompleted She is the eldest daughter of the provincial governor’s household. She sees through worldly affection, and only money can make her feel secure! He is the great general of the chancellor’s household. He has witnessed every kind of hardship, yet the one thing he can never forget is the smile on her face when she sees money. At their first meeting, he seemed to step out of a painting in shades of lush green, the mountain wind billowing his robe and dazzling everyone who saw him. At their second mee 9.8kReads9.5Score1.1kShelves

    Reader note

    The eldest daughter of the governor's family, having experienced the ways of the world, only believed that gold and silver could protect her. Her infatuation with gold became the unforgettable mark on the heart of the Grand General of the Prime Minister's Mansion. When they first met, he arrived with his robes fluttering in the wind, captivating her at first sight. When they met again, she set up a money contest to find a husband, making things difficult for him in every way. He kept up with the challenges, but all he got in return was her harsh words, "I will never marry you."

17. 117 你 You Seduced My Husband, I’ll Seduce Your Son. Fair’s Fair 你吊我夫君，我诱你儿子，不能亏 Thirty Thousand Gold三万金Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Song Xuwan had the husband everyone envied: he was chaste and had never even taken a concubine. But his handsome facade was ripped away in bloody fashion after one drunken night... Zhou Minghai was hardly chaste. He simply had a first love in his heart and wanted to remain faithful to her. Now he had even hidden his first love at a hot-spring villa, sneaking off to meet her every few days. Enough was enough! Whoever wanted that old geezer in his thirties could have him. She had no interest i 13.8kReads8.9Score1.6kShelves

    Reader note

    You will really fall in love

18. 118 全 The Whole Sect Dotes on Her Substitute? The Little Junior Sister Turns Around and Joins the Villain! 全宠替身？小师妹转身投奔反派！ Black-Eyed Immortal黑眼圈仙人Ancient Romance762k WordsCompleted [Goofy Comedy + Ensemble Cast + Not Mindless Wish Fulfillment + Light Romance] Jiang Mo transmigrated into a cultivation novel as the villainess who was the male lead’s first love. In the book, the original owner was the beloved junior sister of the Xuantian Holy Land. She was gravely injured saving her senior brothers and sisters and remained unconscious for three years. When she awoke, she discovered that the female lead, a replacement, had taken everything from her. In the end, she turned e 20.3kReads9.0Score2.7kShelves
19. 119 小 Little Menace! She Makes the Cold and Aloof Young Heir Climb Her Wall Every Day 小祖宗好疯！惹清冷世子日日爬墙 Holding a Brush to Tie Up My Hair执笔绾青丝Ancient Romance523k WordsCompleted (Completed. Transmigrate into a book + win over the husband + face-slapping and punishing scumbags + sweet romance + doted on by everyone + an austere, upright heir to the throne and a righteous-yet-evil, unhinged young lady) Everyone knew that Fu Wenyan, daughter of the Grand General’s household, was hopelessly in love with the Second Prince and would do anything for him without complaint. But after she fell off a cliff, someone else took over Miss Fu’s body. To the Second Prince, whom she h 13.9kReads9.3Score1.7kShelves

    Reader note

    The aloof prince's heart was quietly melting; he was slowly sinking into the world of mortals.

20. 120 世 I Have the Scion of a Prestigious Family Wrapped Around My Finger 世家公子被我耍的团团转 Lychee-Braised Pork荔枝烧肉Ancient Romance289k WordsCompleted Tan Xin, an elite IT professional in the 21st century, dated network engineer Lan Tingyue for three years. When his family pressured him to marry, Lan Tingyue proposed to her. After she didn't respond, he quickly married his high school classmate instead. When Tan Xin found out, she was utterly devastated and rushed to the wedding... 4Reads8.2Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The female lead is a hot commodity.

21. 121 嫡 The Pampered Di Daughter 嫡女娇妃 Restless Slumber怅眠Female-Channel Fanfiction2.5M WordsCompleted The original novel behind the web series The Drama Queen Has Many Suitors. “A sweet, naive heroine? An ancient-era household-intrigue drama? Are you kidding me?” Someone, please explain how a sweet, naive heroine is supposed to survive household intrigue. That one complaint somehow sent Xiao Ting into the script, where she became Su Xiangwan, the sweet, naive heroine she herself had played. And she was stuck following the tragic-romance storyline. Xiao Ting was a top star in the entertainment in 129Reads8.8Score128Shelves
22. 122 重 Reborn, the Scumbag Emperor Loves Me Like His Life 重生后，渣皇爱我如命 Mo Ru莫洳Ancient Romance410k WordsCompleted [Past and Present Lives + Male Lead Reborn + Sweet Historical Romance] In her previous life, Ning Zhi had no choice but to enter the palace as a consort. She never expected to become the emperor’s sole favorite. Whether they were boating on the lake during the Flower Festival or pledging their love on the Qixi Festival, she found herself unable to resist the gentle, refined emperor. On the eve of her appointment as empress, a carefully plotted assassination revealed the truth behind his favor. H 1.6kReads6.6Score100Shelves
23. 123 继 The Empress Dowager Starts Taking Them Out 继后开始刀人 Meng Ri Wan梦日万Ancient Romance491k WordsCompleted The empress consort wants no part in the fight for favor. She just wants to kill people. Wei Xiangwan entered the palace with three things to do. First, uncover the truth behind her father's mysterious disappearance. Second, avenge her best friend, who died unjustly. Third, give birth to the crown prince. As for the emperor's affection, it was the least important thing of all. In the resplendent harem, where false affection bloomed everywhere, some people still yearned for true love. Qi Zhao fel 6.7kReads8.8Score696Shelves

    Reader note

    Wei Xiangwan enters the palace with three tasks: first, to uncover the truth behind her father's mysterious disappearance; second, to avenge her unjustly killed best friend; and third, to give birth to the crown prince. The palace intrigue and power struggles are captivating, with various factions scheming and vying for control. The female protagonist navigates these situations with wisdom and courage, carefully planning her moves. Although the male protagonist is aware of her cunning, he is drawn to her unique charm. Their relationship fluctuates between suspicion, testing, and doting affection, with constant plot twists that keep the reader hooked, each page holding a surprise.

24. 124 战 The God of War’s Otherworldly Physician Consort 战神的异世医妃 February Seventeen二月小十七Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted A modern doctor gets knocked down a mountain by a wild boar and transmigrates into the overlooked legitimate daughter of a fourth-rank minister’s family, a household where nobody likes her. On her third day after transmigrating, she has to bring good luck to a barely living Prince of War through marriage. Should she fight to live, or wait to be buried with him? The Prince of War, who can’t stomach food or drink, falls in love at first sight with the sickly, sallow little girl chosen to bring him 13.5kReads9.2Score1.7kShelves

    Reader note

    This is great, baby!

25. 125 恶 The Villainess Marries the Antagonist, So Why Are You Crying, Hero? 恶女嫁反派，男主你哭什么？ Niao Shi Yu鸟诗语Ancient Romance315k WordsOngoing [Feel-good revenge + face-slapping + both leads’ first love + household intrigue + villainess + spoilers] [Unhinged, vicious villainess × obsessive, lovesick villain, a pure-hate pairing] Yu Qingdai is a notorious bad woman. Every day, she’s either bullying someone or on her way to do it. To get rid of her disfigured, crippled fiancé, she decides to seduce the Crown Prince. But she fails to win him over and instead becomes a laughingstock to everyone. One day, while disciplining the family’s hor 34Reads7.0Score—Shelves
26. 126 重 Reborn, I Chose a Playboy to Be My Father! Somehow, I Raised an Emperor 重生选纨绔当爹！结果养成皇帝了 Happy StellaLou快乐星黛露Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Satisfying revenge + a touch of ensemble cast + regret and redemption + turning a wastrel dad into a lovestruck fool] Song Shihuan was reborn. In her previous life, she was the Crown Prince’s legitimate daughter, but spent ten years living away from home. After being brought back, she tried to please everyone, groveling for the tiniest scraps of family affection. But what did she get in return? The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were ashamed of her, her three legitimate brothers treated her wi 21.1kReads9.3Score2.4kShelves
27. 127 你 You Took Me by Force, So I Took Your Empire 你对我强取豪夺，我反手夺你江山 Purple Swallow Flies紫燕飞Ancient Romance220k WordsOngoing This novel is deeply immersive! It’s not a tragic romance, but I can’t change the tags! The captivating, delicate slave girl is so irresistible that every man falls for her! You all want to control me? Dream on! I’m a princess of a fallen kingdom who plans to become an empress! Giving in for now doesn’t mean I’m an easy target! [Subverting expectations + beloved by all + genuine coercive romance + strong heroine + powerful men bowing to love + rivalry between men + ancient political intrigue and —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    You'll know once you see it.

Other lists with Dump the Romance Hero, Seduce the Emperor from a Male-Oriented Novel