Any Palace Intrigue Recommendations? Smart Characters, No Lying Flat 有没有宫斗文推荐。智商在线，不咸鱼躺平的

1. 1 拽 The Feisty Consort Climbs to Power Through Palace Intrigue, Everyone Else Back Off 拽妃宫斗上位，闲杂人等退退退 Pine Blossom Candy松花糖Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted The short drama is out now. Search for it on Fanqie to watch. [Palace Intrigue Power Fantasy + Not a Clean Romance + Being the Emperor’s Mother Is Better Than Being His Consort] Every woman in the harem hopes to win Emperor Jingrong’s favor, but Yuan Yuntang sees the emperor only as a tool for having children. Women in ancient times had to marry sooner or later anyway, so she might as well marry the most powerful man of all. After all, Emperor Jingrong has a great figure, a handsome face, and a 16.6kReads9.1Score1.8kShelves

   Reader note

   This one is the best! The female lead is always quick-witted and takes revenge on the spot.

2. 2 甄 Empresses in the Palace: The Ladies Ride the Wind and Break the Waves 甄嬛传之乘风破浪的娘娘们 Yu Shiyi芋十一Female-Channel Fanfiction1.2M WordsCompleted [Everyday food, besties being affectionate, a plan to raise a future empress dowager] What should a clear-eyed, clueless college student do after landing in the world of Empresses in the Palace as the timid, insecure An Lingrong? The An Lingrong from her previous life says, “You have to help me live with dignity!” But the Empress is sweet-tongued and treacherous, Consort Hua is arrogant and overbearing, and the Emperor is cold and heartless. How can she live with dignity? If she can't keep up wi 2.4kReads9.0Score197Shelves

   Reader note

   The female lead doesn't want palace intrigue, but circumstances don't allow it. She transmigrates into the body of An Lingrong, becoming close friends with Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang. Unfavored by the emperor, she can only rely on Zhen Huan and Meizhuang! She helps them devise strategies and even gives Meizhuang a secret formula for conceiving a child. This is quite different from the TV series, so you can watch with peace of mind!

3. 3 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

   Take a look at this one.

4. 4 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 24.6kReads9.3Score1.9kShelves

   Reader note

   That means the female lead is intelligent throughout the entire story and doesn't fall in love with the dog emperor in the end.

5. 5 掌 The Darling in the Palm 掌上娇娇 Zhi Yun支云Ancient Romance907k WordsCompleted [Print edition preorder opens July 17] [Film and TV rights sold] [Reader's guide: sweet romance, devoted couple, feel-good wish fulfillment, with clever schemes and political intrigue, many clues and details, and a large cast of well-developed characters. The heroine never gets the short end of the stick; anything that doesn't make sense will be explained later] Prince Xuan, He Junting. In the novel Devoted to the Imperial Consort, the author wrote of how he slaughtered the entire Northern Di co 84.3kReads9.5Score9.6kShelves

   Reader note

   I especially love the personality of the female lead in the first book.

6. 6 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
7. 7 锦 Prince Jin Has Trouble Fathering Heirs? His Delicate Beauty Bears Two Babies in One Night 锦王子嗣艰难？娇柔美人一夜两崽 Today Is Another Day I Want to Get Rich今天也是想发财的一天Ancient Romance772k WordsCompleted [Household and palace intrigue + devoted love later on + the most beautiful heroine + a scheming flirt] Sheng Wendi is a delicate beauty with a face like a celestial maiden. Though she has transmigrated, she can’t remember a single poem or song. Her legitimate elder sister, who transmigrated into a book and knows the plot inside out, steals everything from her. The sister marries the son of a civil official, while Sheng Wendi is sent to marry Prince Jin as a concubine. The prince’s manor is full 6.3kReads8.5Score559Shelves

   Reader note

   From a lowly concubine in a prince's mansion to Empress Dowager

8. 8 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

   Reader note

   The female lead is forced into the harem, but she doesn't give up; she calmly engages in palace intrigue.

9. 9 虎 The Tiger Wife 虎妻 Lotus Flower藕花Ancient Romance1.5M WordsCompleted The Great Qi Dynasty’s foremost God of War, the ruthless, hideous common-born general Yuchi Gui, was granted a marriage by the emperor to the capital’s greatest beauty, Princess Xu Xiyan. Then his high-born fiancée looked down on him, and the wedding was called off. Three years later, after suppressing a rebellion, the handsome and dashing general returned to the capital, becoming the hero every noblewoman in Great Qi wanted to marry. Then his former fiancée clung to him and forced him into marr 8.2kReads9.3Score1kShelves

   Reader note

   This basically meets all your requirements; it's not a mindless novel, it's super good, highly recommended.

10. 10 惜 Cherishing Flowers 惜花芷 Kong Liu空留Ancient Romance1.5M WordsCompleted [The original novel behind the TV adaptation starring Hu Yitian and Zhang Jingyi] After keeping her talents hidden for fifteen years, Hua Zhi thought she could spend her life as a proper aristocratic young lady, living in peace. But when the Hua family’s fortunes collapse, she has no choice but to reveal her sharp edge and hold the storm-tossed household together. Being out in public becomes the norm, and so does galloping through the streets. When all else fails, she even carries a coffin on he 18.6kReads9.6Score4.2kShelves
11. 11 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
12. 12 太 The Empress Dowager's Retirement Life 太后的退休生活 Zhou Xinhan周信含Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Palace intrigue + female lead is the mastermind behind the scenes + no romance + plot-driven + ensemble cast] After transmigrating to the Great Jing dynasty, Su Minqing entered the palace as the empress. She worked tirelessly at palace intrigue for over a decade and finally fought her way to becoming the Empress Dowager. The only catch was that there was another Empress Dowager in the palace besides her. As the emperor’s adoptive mother, she was named the Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces. The 6.1kReads8.4Score357Shelves

    Reader note

    These two are alright.

13. 13 琅 Lang Hua's Rebirth Path 琅嬅的重生路 Rotten Wood, Southern Branch朽木南枝Female-Channel Fanfiction532k WordsCompleted [Regretful emperor × career-minded empress × Ruyi revealed in her true colors] Langhua is reborn for her own sake, to protect her children and live a happy life. The scumbag emperor awakens and stops obsessing over the childhood-sweetheart romance Ruyi had spun for him. 145Reads—Score—Shelves
14. 14 娇 The Sweetheart Deliberately Seduces the Cold Emperor, and He Falls for Her 娇娇蓄意勾引，清冷帝王沦陷了 Mu Niannian慕年年Ancient Romance651k WordsCompleted Palace intrigue + push and pull + seduction and rising to power + falling deeper at every step + devotion to one woman in the later story Loving her and knowing it + a man in power bowing his head for love * The short drama is out now. Search for “The Sweetheart Deliberately Seduces Him, and the Cold Emperor Falls” on Fanqie or Hongguo to watch the full series. * Pei Tingyue transmigrated into a book. She became a disposable consort in The Palace in Power. In the original story, she was simple-m 37.7kReads9.3Score4.4kShelves

    Reader note

    Palace intrigue, female lead is intelligent.

15. 15 清 Qing Transmigration: Oh No, Consort Yi Is Beating People Again 清穿：不好了，宜妃又动手打人了 Xiao Shiyiniang萧十一娘Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Qing Transmigration: A pampered young lady in her previous life + a haughty, proud, fussy little diva + quick to throw punches at the slightest provocation Not a clean romance. Reader discretion advised. Plot 1: Nalan Zhu is dazzlingly beautiful, with a graceful figure. As soon as she enters the imperial harem, Emperor Kangxi takes notice of her. She wins his favor at once and is immediately made a Noble Lady, granted the title Yi. At the morning audience in Changchun Palace, the beauty of Noble 4.4kReads9.0Score417Shelves
16. 16 岁 Years in the Palace 岁岁宫阙 Tea Little Ink茶小墨Ancient Romance706k WordsCompleted Liu Yuetang was sent to a country estate by her legitimate mother the day she was born. When she came of age, her older half-sister gave up her chance to enter the palace because of a dream, stole her match, and spent the night with her betrothed. Liu Yuetang went along with it and decided to enter the palace to carve out a bright future for herself. Once inside, she kept a low profile, learned the arts of the bedchamber, and mastered the art of playing hard to get, pouting coquettishly, and put 10.9kReads8.9Score1.4kShelves
17. 17 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
18. 18 从 From Palace Maid to Imperial Consort: Her Majesty Is on a Killing Spree 从宫女到贵妃，娘娘她杀疯了 Yu Yidao俞一刀Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted It’s bad enough that she’s transmigrated into a palace laundry maid. Who knew a eunuch would take a fancy to her, too? Jiang Zhiyi decides that lying low in the palace is out of the question. She’ll just have to climb the ladder to success. When a eunuch lusts after her, she sends him to his grave. When the concubines vie for favor, she’ll stop at nothing. Jiang Zhiyi knows the imperial harem is a cutthroat workplace where only the capable survive. The palace is full of deceit and intrigue, 6.1kReads8.8Score613Shelves
19. 19 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

    Reader note

    This female lead is absolutely amazing! A female-centric novel.

20. 20 宠 The Spoiled Concubine's Daily Death Wish 宠妾作死日常 Fine Dust Beneath the Moon月下微尘Ancient Romance2.0M WordsCompleted You have to die once to realize what you’ve missed, especially in a back courtyard full of endless intrigue! Before the selection, Wanyan Wanxi was the apple of her family’s eye. After she was chosen and entered the imperial household, she remembered her mother’s teachings: respect the principal consort and tread carefully in everything. She never sought the limelight. But who could have guessed that this very respect and sense of propriety would lead to her downfall? Returning to the beginnin 3.6kReads8.8Score260Shelves

    Reader note

    I highly recommend these two books; they're definitely worth reading. I read the first one a long, long time ago, and I still remember it vividly. It's truly excellent.

21. 21 贵 The Noble Consort's Thousand Charms 贵妃千娇百媚 Ji Nanzhi寄南枝Ancient Romance1.8M WordsCompleted [Palace-intrigue novel + reborn black lotus heroine + exceptionally talented actress, rising through the ranks] [The male lead has consorts at first. After falling for the heroine, he favors her, makes her his sole favorite, and eventually dismisses his harem. One-on-one romance.] In her previous life, Shen Fu was a substitute for her elder sister. Her sister was the beloved Noble Consort, the most favored woman in the imperial harem, and lived in unmatched splendor. Shen Fu, timid and frail, ha 3kReads8.5Score345Shelves

    Reader note

    It's super good! Don't be fooled by the 8.6 rating; the writing is superb, it's a rebirth story, the plot is engaging, and the characters are intelligent.

22. 22 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

    This looks nice, but it's not a double clean (clean) story.

23. 23 大 How Could the Delicate, Beautiful Young Lady Be a Wicked Supporting Character? 大小姐柔弱貌美，怎会是恶毒女配 Lu Chuqi陆初七Ancient Romance448k WordsCompleted [One woman, multiple men + scheming beauty heroine + morally gray characters + clever leads + rivalry for her affection + intense romantic entanglements] Everyone in Shangjing knows that Wen Wanyi, the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter, is gentle and gracious, clever and virtuous, a model among the capital's noblewomen. Even the Empress Dowager, who rarely leaves the palace, once praised her as a woman of both beauty and brains, the very embodiment of a refined young lady. But only Pei Lin 5kReads8.3Score565Shelves
24. 24 太 The Crown Prince Steals His Friend's Wife! The Sweetheart Is Trapped in a Jealousy Showdown 太子夺友妻！娇娇深陷争宠修罗场 I Love Sugarcane我爱吃甘蔗Ancient Romance508k WordsCompleted [Rebirth + Rivals Fighting for Her + Sweet-Talk Face-Slapping + Forced Marriage and Possession + Faking Her Death + Devoted to Each Other + Female Lead in Control] After a tragic death, Meng Jinyue is given a chance and sent back three years. If she successfully wins over the Crown Prince within those three years, she will be allowed to keep living afterward. Meng Jinyue accepts without hesitation. After all, a man's no substitute for her life. But her status is too low, and she can barely get a 9.4kReads8.9Score895Shelves
25. 25 皇 The Empress Is a Max-Level Palace Intriguer, Crushing Everyone 皇后满级宫斗，嘎嘎乱杀 Hot Hot烫烫Ancient Romance602k WordsCompleted [Palace intrigue + infidelity + fictional setting + a resourceful, money-loving, beauty-loving, life-loving empress ✖️ emperor] In her previous life, Hua Shu was a lowly palace maid. She schemed her way to the top of the political ladder, only to be condemned by everyone and branded a wicked woman who brought ruin to the nation. When she opens her eyes again, she finds herself in the unfamiliar state of Chu, as an unloved empress who’s also being made a scapegoat. As if she’d put up with that! S 14.2kReads9.4Score1.9kShelves

    Reader note

    The female lead is truly a clear-headed and strong-willed woman. She is resourceful, good at using people, hardworking, cautious, and exceptionally eloquent. In her past life, she was a palace maid who endured much hardship and scheming. In this life, she is an empress who is both flexible and assertive in her pursuit of favor. She is dignified, multifaceted, mysterious, and captivating. She always knows that the most reliable thing is power, and she can still make the male lead fall deeply in love with her, unable to extricate himself, and even enjoying it. She is incredibly capable. Currently, there is no indication of the underworld or the mastermind behind it all. It is estimated to be related to her aunt or a king of a different surname. The ending is obvious, but the process is incredibly intriguing and a rare spectacle.

26. 26 勾 Flirt with the Crown Prince, Become His Favorite Consort? A Piece of Cake 勾太子，宠妃？顺手的事儿 Snowy Dudu雪之嘟嘟Ancient Romance418k WordsCompleted [Sweet romance, sweet romance, sweet romance! We’ll say it three times because it’s important] She transmigrated? And became a favored concubine to the Crown Prince of the Jun Kingdom? After waking up one day, Mu Wantang finds herself inside a wish-fulfillment novel she had read recently, as the Crown Prince’s beloved concubine. Jun Chengyan, the Crown Prince of the Jun Kingdom and The Outcast, is breathtakingly handsome, elegant, and incomparably noble. The original owner was beautiful, but not 24.6kReads9.1Score2.5kShelves

    Reader note

    See it all from beginning to end! Enter with your eyes closed.

27. 27 和 After a Political Marriage, I Became the Princess Who Ruled the Grasslands for a Thousand Years 和亲后，我成了立碑草原千岁公主 Shi Wuwei石五味Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted (Slow-burn Qing dynasty transmigration, first in the Forbidden City, later on the grasslands of the northern frontier, career-driven heroine, lovestruck hero) ❤️ After an accident, Lin Tang, a doctoral student at an agricultural sciences academy, was born into the Qing dynasty as Kangxi's sixth daughter. Her mother had a tendency to cry and was a low-ranking concubine at the bottom of the palace hierarchy. She, too, was a princess unworthy of even having a name. At first, Lin Tang won Kangxi's f 1.8kReads8.9Score131Shelves
28. 28 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
29. 29 和 On the Day of Her Divorce, the Tragic Heroine Turned Around and Married the Tyrant 和离当天，虐文女主转身嫁暴君 Mu Xiaoyue木小玥Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted The short drama is now online: [A laid-back, lie-flat, black-hearted legitimate daughter X a crazed, gloomy, pure-hearted tyrant] [The other man wins her over] [Original title: The Day We Divorced, the Tragic Novel's Heroine Turned Around and Married the Tyrant] At the royal autumn hunt, Song Yaozhi argues with the woman her husband brought back from the borderlands. Song Yaozhi scolds her, saying she's nothing but a concubine. Just then, her husband, Xiao Ziqian, kicks the door open and points 41.4kReads9.1Score4.4kShelves

    Reader note

    These books are all palace intrigue novels, featuring strong female protagonists who aren't the typical weak or delicate type.

30. 30 邪 The Evil Prince Pursues His Wife: The Beloved Princess Has Many Secret Identities 邪王追妻：团宠王妃马甲多 Tang Shen棠沈Ancient Romance309k WordsCompleted Sweet romance + secret identities + devoted couple + satisfying power fantasy + strong heroine Born into the Shen family as an illegitimate daughter and forced to leave home for thirteen years, Shen Tangyu returns in grand style as an all-around powerhouse, adored by everyone. The Seamstress Maiden fights by her side with a blade, the divine physician is determined to take her as a disciple, a commandery princess becomes her biggest fan, and even the Regent Princess loses to her. The adorable yo 4Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    It's not like a lazy bum; the tricks are endless, and sometimes you only understand it after reading the whole thing.

31. 31 报 Report! The Regent Has Been Flustered by the Princess Royal Again! 报！摄政王又被长公主撩红脸了！ A Spark Across Ten Thousand Miles万里星火Ancient Romance301k WordsCompleted [One-on-one romance, sweet and indulgent] Xiao Sijin transmigrates as the Grand Princess of Cangyun, with a troublesome little emperor for a younger brother. The siblings have lived for years under the shadow of Prince Regent Xue Jinzhan. After dying horribly on the executioner’s block in her previous life, Xiao Sijin goes all-in on the flattery to save her life, doing her best to cling to the regent’s favor. “Our prince is handsome, good-tempered, and unmatched in the world.” “How can there be 1.7kReads9.2Score209Shelves
32. 32 重 After Being Reborn, My Five Brothers Beg Me in Tears to Return Home 重生后，五个哥哥哭着求我回府 Mu Mianmian慕绵绵Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Currently being published] [She chases him after the breakup + sweet romance + satisfying read] In her previous life, Jiang You'an was a cannon-fodder side character in a novel where the whole family doted on the heroine. Her entire family favored her younger sister, and she was beaten to death with clubs. After being reborn, she refuses to repeat her past mistakes, only to discover that her family regrets everything and begs for her forgiveness. Everyone wants to make amends? Hah, I’m not int 7.7kReads9.4Score1.3kShelves
33. 33 代 A Substitute Bride Becomes Empress 代嫁为后 Green Mint Ice绿色薄荷冰Ancient Romance170k WordsCompleted She was the princess chosen by the royal family to marry in another princess’s place. On the journey to seal the marriage alliance, she was cautious and careful with every word. Yet by a twist of fate, she became the apple of the Western Regions prince’s eye. When the truth comes to light… 1kReads8.6Score104Shelves
34. 34 陪 The Lady’s Maid 陪房丫鬟 March Chirp三月啾Ancient Romance516k WordsCompleted [A Tale of Taking by Force] Unluckily transmigrated into the body of a maid who serves as a dowry, Yun Xiang knows she will eventually be chosen to become Second Master Lu’s bedchamber maid. Second Master Lu is refined and gentle, the man of many maids’ dreams. But she doesn’t want that. She struggles and resists, openly and in secret, doing everything she can to avoid it. Yet, by a twist of fate, she unexpectedly catches Second Master Lu’s eye. She has no right to refuse. Just as it seems the m 69kReads9.1Score11.1kShelves
35. 35 诱 Tempting the Villain 诱反派 Queen Julian朱莉安女王Ancient Romance198k WordsCompleted [Signed for publication] After transmigrating into a book as the cannon-fodder princess who dies tragically on her wedding night, Shen Ruan takes the initiative to seduce her husband, the Prince Regent, to stay alive. The Prince Regent has the face of an immortal, but he's ruthless, murderous, and volatile. He's the story's greatest villain. Shen Ruan goes to great lengths to tempt him, using both her beauty and clever schemes. From time to time, she also has to moonlight as the villain's bedmat 6.3kReads9.1Score672Shelves
36. 36 性 Sexy Widow, Having a Live Meltdown 性感寡妇，在线发癫 Running Braised Fish奔跑的红烧鱼Ancient Romance662k WordsCompleted [Female player who dates around + lighthearted comedy + unconventional palace intrigue] Song Wanyi went from a sexy bombshell to a widow who had supposedly killed her husband right after their wedding. Being a widow was great. No husband, and a huge dowry to boot. As long as she found a way to outlive her in-laws, life would be a dream. But she never imagined that the aloof master she had seduced on a whim was actually the emperor. It was over. How was she supposed to keep her string of male com 2.2kReads9.2Score230Shelves
37. 37 重 Reborn, I Won’t Be Crown Princess. I’ll Be Empress 重生后我不当太子妃只当皇后 It's Soleil是soleilAncient Romance330k WordsCompleted In her previous life, Ling Qingyue loved the wrong man. After countless hardships, she finally became the crown prince's long-awaited princess consort, only to discover that it had all been a trap he had laid to seize his family's military power. In the end, her family was destroyed and everyone she loved was killed... Reborn, she plans every move carefully. Willing to throw herself into the trap, she abandons love to pursue her scheme and enters into a marriage of convenience with him. Yet ev 47Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    In her past life, Ling Qingyue loved the wrong person. She painstakingly ascended to the coveted position of Crown Princess, only to discover it was all a trap set by the Crown Prince to seize military power for his own family. In the end, her family was destroyed... Reborn, for revenge, she used everyone around her who could be used... Wait a minute, how did she suddenly become Empress? And why is that so-called Emperor looking at her so strangely? No way, you were reborn too? Oh no, she seems to have fallen into another trap... @Issoleil

38. 38 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
39. 39 彼 When the Other Shore Flowers Bloom, I See You Again 彼岸花开又见你 Falling Dance舞落Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted I've walked the long streets beneath lonely desert smoke and falling snow on green mountains, past ten miles of drifting blossoms. I've seen vast fields beneath slanting sunsets, but none of it compares to the wonder of seeing you. Sunsets fade, flowers bloom and fall, and the right people will always find each other in time 18.6kReads9.0Score2.5kShelves

    Reader note

    These two books are well-written, enjoyable, and I love reading them.

40. 40 纨 The Spoiled Couple Goes Wild in the Capital 纨绔夫妇，京城发癫 Aow Big Meow嗷大喵Ancient Romance491k WordsOngoing (One-on-one romance, married first and falling in love later, chaotic daily life) Sixteen years ago, the favored Qiao family and the newly appointed Hanlin scholar Huo family arranged a marriage. Sixteen years later, the Huo family had risen to the rank of Minister, while the Qiao family had plummeted from trusted imperial confidants to complete paupers. On the eve of the wedding, the Huo family’s second wife couldn’t bear to see her handsome, talented son marry a pauper’s daughter, so she subst 14kReads9.2Score1.4kShelves
41. 41 疯 The Unhinged Male Lead Is Frail and Easy to Push Around 疯批男主，身娇体弱易推倒 Cold but Not Warm冷不暖Two Male Leads398k WordsCompleted Not a wish-fulfillment story. The pacing is slow, with both angst and sweetness. The love interest appears first. [Male-male romance + transmigration with no System + an obsessive, unhinged little green tea] What should you do if you transmigrate into the body of a beastly scumbag villain, and the male lead is a lunatic? Obviously, strike first or suffer the consequences. The male lead has plot armor: you can’t kill him, and he can’t die. To survive, Xiao Jincheng decides to cling to the male le 612Reads8.8Score108Shelves

    Reader note

    The story begins with the protagonist being transported to hell. To survive, she doesn't immediately try to please the protagonist, but instead gradually changes through small, everyday details. What truly earns lasting love isn't beauty, but rather a person's character and virtues.

42. 42 重 Reborn: I Flirted the Gloomy Regent into a Daze 重生后，阴鸷摄政王被我撩晕了 Heart Yearning for Gardenias心向往栀Ancient Romance556k WordsCompleted "Print edition available for preorder October 24 at 7 p.m.!" "Black Lotus Beauty of a Princess & the Grim, Ruthless Regent" [Two Powerful Leads + Sweet Romance + Devoted Couple + Putting Scumbags in Their Place] Zhixian was the sharpest blade at the side of the Third Prince of Nanzhao, eliminating every obstacle in his bid for the throne. But on the day he was named crown prince, she met her end. "Zhixian, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for knowing too much." Xuan Yuan Heng wiped t 32.9kReads9.3Score3.3kShelves
43. 43 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

    This is the only palace intrigue novel I've read where both the main and supporting characters are intelligent; everyone is on point and doesn't hold back. It's been on my bookshelf ever since I finished it, and I can't bear to delete it. Women, for their own goals, can utilize any available resources, and they also need to be clever enough to manipulate them skillfully. Highly recommended! 🤔

44. 44 昭 May Dreams Come True 昭梦如愿 Guan Moxi关墨兮Ancient Romance525k WordsCompleted This is an epic tale of a woman’s growth, a dazzling story of power, love, and betrayal! Watch her rise from the bottom and write her own legend amid treacherous struggles for power! From dust to the clouds, she uses her blood as ink to rewrite her fate! She was once an ant in the mud, but with unyielding resolve, she climbed to the pinnacle of power! From a lowly beggar to the regent’s consort, she proceeds one step at a time, tempering herself in the fires of conspiracy and betrayal. Once naiv 9Reads6.7Score—Shelves
45. 45 祸 Turmoil in the Six Palaces: The Mad Demon Consort's Daily Meltdowns 祸乱六宫：疯批妖妃发癫日常 Bing Xiayun冰夏云Ancient Romance677k WordsCompleted [Palace intrigue + male lead has had other women, heroine is chaste + doted on exclusively later + heroine is sweet on the outside but dark within, wicked and a good actress, occasionally goes off the rails, happy ending] With skin as pure as ice and bones as fine as jade, her beauty could topple a city, stunning all who saw her… That year, she entered the palace by imperial decree to keep her pregnant elder sister company. She never expected to be trapped there for good, reduced to a fish on he 8.4kReads9.0Score894Shelves

    Reader note

    It's very satisfying to watch, no fluff.

46. 46 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 36.9kReads9.4Score4.3kShelves

    Reader note

    They're both good-looking, and neither of them are love-struck. 😆😆😆

47. 47 侯 The Orphaned Daughter's Path to Glory 侯府孤女的荣华路 Yang Chenxue扬尘雪Ancient Romance596k WordsCompleted [Age-gap warning: the heroine is sexually inexperienced, the hero is not; after meeting her, he is devoted to her alone] Gu Jin is the orphaned daughter of the late Marquis Yongding. She lost both parents at a young age and, unloved by her grandmother, grew up struggling to get by in the marquis's household. She had hoped for a peaceful life and a safe marriage, but someone schemed against her, and she ended up in the hands of the emperor, a man who stood above all others... Fortunately, the emp 4.9kReads8.9Score506Shelves

    Reader note

    Female Lead: Gu Jin, the orphan of the Marquis of Yongding, orphaned at a young age and raised with neglect in the Marquis's household. Resilient and yearning for a peaceful life, she is drawn into a power struggle due to court intrigues. Male Lead: Xiao Hongzhang, the reigning emperor. Initially, he takes care of Gu Jin because of her status as the orphan of a fallen hero, but their feelings gradually become more complex, evolving from a relationship of ruler and subject to possessiveness and deep affection. The female lead has a simple romantic history, while the male lead had other relationships (but became devoted to her after meeting her), catering to those who appreciate a "pure and innocent" romance. The setting of an orphan from a marquis's household and an emperor implies dramatic conflicts such as class differences and family feuds.

48. 48 春 The Spring Breeze Blows Through Yumen Pass! 春风吹度玉门关！ Scallion Pancake with an Extra Egg手抓饼要加鸡蛋Ancient Romance409k WordsCompleted [They marry at the start + married life + sweet romance + native-born leads + mutually devoted] Gentle, tolerant, and magnanimous heroine & jealous, rough-around-the-edges puppy-dog hero The sixth year of the Zhending reign, spring. The old Duchess of Dingguo knelt before the Empress Dowager, asking for a marriage match for her grandson Yun Zheng, who was guarding the northwest. The emperor honored the Yun family’s generations of loyal service. Having also heard that the Cui family’s daughters 23.3kReads9.0Score2.9kShelves
49. 49 皇 The Empress Leaped to Her Death, and the Mad Tyrant Wept Until His Eyes Were Red 皇后纵身一跃，疯批暴君哭红了眼 Huang Dandan黄蛋蛋Ancient Romance635k WordsCompleted [One-on-one romance, devoted couple + palace intrigue + regretful pursuit, clear-headed heroine, everyone's unattainable ideal] Meng Tang is a gracious, gentle empress who never competes for favor. Everyone thinks she is a true white lotus standing tall in the harem, and even the tyrant believes it. He takes a new concubine, and she smiles, congratulates him, and arranges for the newcomer to spend the night with him. He sends her restorative medicine, and she obediently takes it, knowing full we 21.8kReads9.3Score2.1kShelves
50. 50 清 The Qing Palace's Favored Consort, Jueluo Clan 清宫宠妃觉尔察氏 Nuan Xiao Bai暖晓白Ancient Romance501k WordsCompleted There’s a pocket dimension. (Not pure wish fulfillment. The heroine is favored, but not the only one.) Wu Na lived to a ripe old age in her previous life, bringing her working life to an end. She happily arrived in the underworld, hoping to be reborn into a wealthy family this time. Thinking about all the wonderful things her next life might bring, she walked toward the Bridge of Helplessness with her head down. She didn’t notice the brief, dazed look on Granny Meng’s face when she saw the glow 6.5kReads8.3Score383Shelves

    Reader note

    The female protagonist possesses a magical space and a spiritual spring; she is both intelligent and courageous, and bears many sons for Emperor Kangxi.

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