Historical Palace Intrigue, Preferably Without Rebirth or Transmigration 古言宫斗，尽量不要重生穿越的

1. 101 心 The Scheming Beauty's Conquest Notes 心机美人的攻略手札 Drink a Little Less Milk Tea少喝1点奶茶Ancient Romance582k WordsCompleted Jiang Fu swore from a young age that she would climb the social ladder and marry into a powerful family. She was willing to use any means necessary. On the eve of the Jiang family’s legitimate daughter’s wedding, the groom’s side was rocked by a scandal of epic proportions. Jiang Ruyue, who had been pampered all her life, immediately refused to marry him. So the Jiang family secretly brought back Jiang Fu, the concubine-born daughter who had been raised far away. The Jiang family looked down on 6.7kReads9.3Score975Shelves

   Reader note

   It's okay, you can try it

2. 102 三 Three Feet of Spring 三尺春【王嘉懋、李十七主演 短剧同名原著小说热播中！！！】 Evergreen and Everwhite长青长白Ancient Romance371k WordsCompleted The captivating beauty Li Shuwan, whose background is shrouded in mystery × the aloof, proud General Li Fengyuan, hard-mouthed but soft-hearted Ancient romance + premium novel + one-on-one romance + both leads' first love + sweet romance + mutual devotion + palace intrigue + simmering tension + secret crush + age gap + reunion after years apart When she was seven, Li Shuwan was brought back from the countryside to the General's Mansion, becoming Li Fengyuan's relative in name only. Knowing her 23.8kReads9.4Score3kShelves

   Reader note

   It's pure ancient. It's not like a slow stream but a long flow. I started talking about it when I was young, but I have a good grasp of the rhythm. It's also easy to cry

3. 103 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 Romance554k WordsCompleted [Signed for print publication] [Black Lotus Beauty of a Princess and a Ruthless, Brooding Regent] [Two strong leads + sweet flirtation + devotion to one another + revenge on scoundrels] Zhixian was the sharpest blade at the side of the Third Prince of Nanzhao. She removed every obstacle in his path to the throne, only to meet her end on the very day he was named Crown Prince. “Zhixian, if you want someone to blame, blame yourself for knowing too much.” Xuan Yuan Heng wiped the blood from his dag 40.4kReads9.3Score5.4kShelves

   Reader note

   The heroine was originally the secret guard of the third prince of Nanzhao Kingdom, and she helped him remove all obstacles, but she was killed by him when he became the prince. Yizhao was reborn as the princess of Beiyao Kingdom, and his martial arts skills were still there, but in order to take revenge, he disguised himself as a sickly beauty and had to find a high-ranking person. Later, when he met the ruthless regent, he used his beauty trap and took the bait.

4. 104 媚 Her Alluring Charm Has the Unhinged Regent Wrapped Around Her Finger 媚骨娇娇嘤嘤，疯批摄政王宠宠宠 Tong Yu铜余Ancient Romance291k WordsCompleted [Sweet Romance, Devoted Couple, One-on-One, Funny and Lighthearted, Secret Identity Later] Yun Luoyu, the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue, was beautiful, wealthy, and alluring by nature. She'd planned to spend half her life taking it easy, but on her wedding day, the deranged Prince Regent abducted her by force. From then on, she became the apple of his eye and the delight of his bedchamber. She acted sweet, played cute, pouted, and cracked jokes. She studied alongside the emperor 5.9kReads9.3Score675Shelves

   Reader note

   This one is particularly beautiful. The male protagonist is super doting and the female protagonist is very cute.

5. 105 贵 The Consort Is Beautiful and Sweet, and the Cold, Cruel Emperor Dotes on Her Without Restraint 贵妃美艳娇软，冷戾帝王宠溺无度 Mu Niannian慕年年Ancient Romance501k WordsCompleted [Harem intrigue + climbing the ranks and crushing the villains + doting romance. The male lead knows his own heart. He'll devote himself to her alone later on.] [The heroine rises through the ranks quickly at first, then more slowly later on.] [The heroine comes from a noble family, is the most beautiful woman in the harem, and already has two adorable children. The Emperor falls for her first and favors her from early on, before devoting himself to her alone in the middle and later parts.] By a 27.3kReads9.4Score2.7kShelves
6. 106 朕 The Emperor Finds His Consort Alluring; I Find His Majesty a Jerk 朕见贵妃多妩媚，妾见皇上甚是渣 Tea Little Ink茶小墨Ancient Romance458k WordsCompleted [No transmigration or rebirth] [Pure palace intrigue] [The heroine never falls in love] Jinyue, the legitimate eldest daughter of a general's household, is chosen in a selection for the imperial harem. The Empress appoints her as a spy and marries her off to the Crown Prince as a secondary consort. The moment she enters the Eastern Palace, she understands that she and Zhongli Jin are bound only by mutual interest. There can never be the slightest affection between them. After sixteen years in th 2.2kReads8.9Score183Shelves
7. 107 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 66.5kReads9.5Score7.6kShelves
8. 108 宫 Palace Beauty 宫姝 Clear Summer Xixi清夏兮兮Ancient Romance631k WordsCompleted She dared not love too deeply, afraid it would all turn out to be nothing but a dream. She thought that once she entered the imperial palace, she would be like the other consorts, scheming every day to win the emperor's favor; She thought that once she entered the imperial palace, she would be like the other consorts, with invisible blood staining her hands; She thought that once she entered the imperial palace, she would be like the other consorts. In the end, it was only what she had imagined. 12.8kReads9.2Score1.5kShelves
9. 109 贵 The Noble Consort Rejects Love, Yet the Emperor Dotes on Her and Decrees Her Empress 贵妃不入爱河，皇上盛宠下旨封后 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance288k WordsCompleted [The leads aren't both chaste at first + he pampers her devotedly later + the emperor secretly helps her navigate palace intrigue + the heroine has no interest in loving the emperor and focuses on climbing the ranks.] Alternate-era setting [The emperor personally raises his future empress, then claims her in the night] The Yun family has a legitimate daughter, a peerless beauty hidden away in the general's manor. The prime minister's son came to propose, but didn't even get to see her. “I don't 1.6kReads9.1Score191Shelves
10. 110 宫 A Heart Caged Behind Palace Walls: Consort Yuan Is Promoted Again 宫墙锁心宠，元妃娘娘又晋位了 Han Qingxue寒清雪Ancient Romance320k WordsCompleted No one is completely devoted to one person in the early part of the story, so don’t read if that’s a dealbreaker. The emperor is a scoundrel at first, but utterly doting later. More sweet than angsty. [Palace intrigue and rising to power + many children + absolute favor + climbing to the top one step at a time] Su Zhitang, the daughter of a general, enters the palace as a beauty after the selection. Her father is already a second-rank official, so she only wants to heed her mother’s advice, keep 978Reads9.0Score101Shelves
11. 111 贵 The Imperial Consort Smiled Over Her Shoulder, and the Cold-Faced Emperor Fell for Her 贵妃回眸一笑，冷面君王沦陷了 Tea Little Ink茶小墨Ancient Romance437k WordsCompleted Palace intrigue + historical romance + not mutually chaste + marriage first, love later She is the general’s younger sister, with an excellent family background and beauty to match. After she transmigrates, she wakes up caught in the schemes and betrayals of the imperial palace. To protect herself, she resolves to become the emperor’s favorite consort. When they first meet, he tells her, “I will never like a woman like you in this life.” Gu Qingyan successfully presents herself as somewhat 2.8kReads8.9Score190Shelves
12. 112 娇 Delicate Bones 娇骨 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 146.2kReads9.5Score18.2kShelves
13. 113 啊 Huh? Palace Intrigue? Aren't I a Physician? 啊？宫斗？我不是太医吗 A Fu阿阜Ancient Romance669k WordsCompleted How is a low rating my problem when the content’s this good? Come on in! [Wild Imagination + Unconventional Palace Intrigue + Infinite Life Resets + Strong Heroine + A Touch of Mystery] Qiao Xi, a palace physician who only wanted to laze around in the imperial palace, hadn’t even had a chance to enjoy the latest gossip when disaster struck. She was killed for refusing to claim that the deranged Noble Consort was one month pregnant when she was actually three months along. No problem… Except, yea 1.1kReads7.4Score154Shelves
14. 114 风 The Easygoing Life of a Wind-Type Esper in Ancient Times 风系异能者在古代的咸鱼生活 Wind-Blown Rabbit风吹兔子Ancient Romance528k WordsCompleted After dying in battle at the end of the world, she was reborn as a concubine-born daughter in an ancient official's household. The household intrigues and fights for favor were someone else's concern. Li Xia spent her days getting her monthly allowance from her stepmother, eating and drinking, and catching a show. Life was carefree. After unexpectedly saving someone at the Lantern Festival, Li Xia's carefree days came to an end. By day, she was a sheltered young lady who never left the inner qua 5.7kReads9.0Score453Shelves
15. 115 权 The Powerful Minister Breaks Down in Tears: He’s Fallen for His Rival’s Younger Sister 权臣爆哭：看上对头亲妹妹 Madam Raccoon狸猫夫人Ancient Romance313k WordsCompleted [Complete] Brother who dotes on his sister + sweet romance + cozy moments Xiao Yu couldn’t understand why his younger sister was so set on marrying beneath her. The top scholar came from a poor family and had no connections, power, or influence. Marrying him would mean a life of hardship, with no telling how many years she’d have to wait before things got better. His sister had far better options. Until he fell for the top scholar’s precious younger sister. He would do whatever it took to make h 2.2kReads8.7Score231Shelves
16. 116 穿 After I Transmigrated into a Book, I Won Over the Treacherous Chief Minister 穿书后，我攻略了奸臣首辅 Bright Lantern灯旺旺Ancient Romance707k WordsCompleted [Farming + Transmigrate into a Book + Sweet Romance] Witty, scheming girl vs. lovesick, obsessive powerbroker Xin Yueying transmigrates into a book, landing in an old-fashioned, preachy novel as the wicked wife of the deranged, obsessive second male lead. Shen Qingqi is the novel’s deranged, villainous male character. Born into a family of famed generals, he was imprisoned alongside the Shen family after his father offended powerful nobles. He suffered terribly in prison and was left with crippl 45.9kReads9.3Score7.8kShelves
17. 117 乔 President Qiao, Step Up Your Wife-Chasing Game! Your Wife’s Ready to Marry Someone Else! 乔总追妻加把劲，太太准备二婚了！ A Narrow Strip of Water一衣带水Modern Romance571k WordsCompleted It’s hard not to be captivated by Qiao Sinian’s sharp, heroic features after meeting him. Falling in love with Qiao Sinian was the hardest thing for Jiang Ran to control in her life. She spent four years figuring out her feelings and tried to cut her losses in time, but she still kept getting tangled up with him. Later, she was framed and caught in a conspiracy, enduring one hardship after another, while Qiao Sinian grandly announced his engagement. The marriage certificate in Jiang Ran’s hands 195Reads—Score—Shelves
18. 118 长 Elder Sister, Your Emperor Is Mine Now 长姐，你的陛下是我的了 Yi Yi咿伊Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Original title: Tell Me, Your Majesty, Exactly How Many Men Have You Had Children With? [Palace intrigue + the male lead’s redemption arc + neither lead is chaste + three sons and one daughter + physician consort + scheming, delicate beauty] Yun Yan’s death was the unanimous decision of her entire family, made solely to use her child to pave the way for her elder sister, the empress. Five years later. Defying death, Yun Yan returns with a new face and takes the name Shen Zhiyi. On the surface, s 11.5kReads8.8Score1.2kShelves
19. 119 黑 The Dark Moonlight Empress: The Mad Emperor Kneels and Bends to Her Will 黑月光皇后：疯批帝王跪折腰 Yijun翊君Ancient Romance770k WordsCompleted [An emperor who seems gentle and refined but is actually an obsessive tyrant VS an empress who seems detached from worldly desires but is actually ruthless] Year Five of Jiayou. A political upheaval brought down the Jiang family, the imperial family’s staunchest supporters, overnight. That same year, Empress Jiang He’s plan to poison Emperor Jiayou in Fengqi Palace failed, and she was confined to Qianyuan Temple to pray for the realm. The realm remained unharmed, but the imperial harem became a 1.3kReads8.4Score101Shelves
20. 120 母 Is Being the Mother of the Realm Just About Becoming the Male Lead’s Mom? 母仪天下就是让她给男主当娘？ Mouse to the Eighth Power鼠的八次方Ancient Romance305k WordsCompleted [Empress + taming men + palace intrigue + System + ambition] As an empress, Xu Qingqiu is wicked but exalted. One day, a sinister entity calling itself a System appears. System: “You’re the wicked female supporting character, and the male leads, starved of love, will kill you.” “Unless you become their mother.” “The path to redemption is motherhood.” Xu Qingqiu: Got it. Raise sons. When the general’s son is sentenced to have his entire family executed, she sends him to the frontier to make a na 62Reads8.0Score—Shelves
21. 121 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 207.9kReads9.5Score22.4kShelves

    Reader note

    It looks good but it's a fetal translator 😇

22. 122 睁 She Opened Her Eyes, Reborn as the Royal Family's Most Adored Little Princess 睁开眼，她重生成皇室最宠小公主 Wen Xingyun温幸运Ancient Romance3.6M WordsCompleted As the daughter of a Grand Princess, she was born a commandery princess, and her engagement to the heir of the Duke Who Guards the Nation made them the envy of everyone in the Great An Dynasty. Then, overnight, more than a hundred members of her family were branded traitors and beheaded at the Meridian Gate. He and her half-sister even gave her a cup of poison. It turned out everything had been a conspiracy. Reborn, she joins forces with her beloved to protect all her loved ones and ensure every 2.7kReads8.5Score294Shelves
23. 123 宣 Commandery Princess Xuanping 宣平郡主 Cat Who Loves Sweet and Sour Pinecone Fish爱吃糖醋松果鱼的猫Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Princess Xuanping and the Crown Prince grew up together. Everyone thought she would become the future Crown Princess. But the Crown Prince fell for the princess's delicate, innocent-looking cousin instead. He forgot his promise that they would spend their lives together, and even risked angering the Emperor so he could marry her cousin. When danger struck, he abandoned the princess without hesitation. After Prince An rescues her, the princess comes to her senses. Some people simply aren't meant 7kReads8.8Score709Shelves
24. 124 我 My Long-Lost Brother Successfully Led a Rebellion 我那失踪多年的兄长造反成功了 Weiyan未晏Ancient Romance1.1M WordsOngoing Once, A Cui inherited the legacy of a literary master. Her lifelong wish was to write with vigor and abundant ink, to roam the northern frontier and the lands south of the Yangtze with a bamboo staff and straw sandals, to compile histories and annotate the classics for the betterment of all, and to publish works that would support farming and livelihoods. Later, her elder brother gave her an exalted position, immense authority, and the freedom to stand against worldly conventions. Then she wante 57Reads8.2Score—Shelves
25. 125 疯 The Reborn Mad Emperor Only Wants to Raise the Young Crown Prince 疯批帝王重生后，只想养小太子 White Crane Grass白鹤草Ancient Romance325k WordsCompleted Both leads are devoted to each other + both are reborn + a little political intrigue Zhang Zhao has been reborn, returning to the time before he became emperor. Back then, no one called him a tyrant yet. And that delicate princess was still alive. That princess was quite something. She fought him for more than a decade. She took a dagger and carved a piece of flesh from his chest. She took a long arrow and shot straight through his shoulder. She took a hairpin and left a scar at the corner of hi 2.3kReads7.3Score172Shelves
26. 126 谁 What Kind of Concubine Bears Four Sons and a Daughter, Then Becomes a Noble Consort? 谁家通房生四儿一女，还当贵妃啊 Autumn Is Long秋很长Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Both leads are devoted only to each other + One-on-one romance + Many children + Sweet romance + Inner- and imperial-palace intrigue] In the fortieth year of the Xihe era, Lüqing became a concubine-in-waiting to Prince Jin. She knew full well that she had to earn Prince Jin's favor and give birth to a child as soon as possible if she wanted to secure her place in the prince's household. For eight years, she contended with the other women in the inner court, using every means at her disposal to 26.6kReads9.1Score2.6kShelves
27. 127 三 Betrothed by Six Ceremonies, She Marries the Bloodthirsty Prince While Pregnant 三书六聘！她揣着孕肚嫁嗜血王爷 Kong Chen Huilong空尘绘龙Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [A dangerously unhinged beauty and a moonlit beauty. The one who kisses your scars is more worthy of your love.] Hua Yunwan, an orphan from the Duke's mansion who had been living away from home, was named Prince Qi's consort because she was pregnant. Her husband, Prince Qi, was violent, cruel, and guilty of every wicked deed imaginable. When the decree arrived, she prepared herself to die. But one day, this vicious wolf changed completely. - Before they married, he was ruthless and domineering: 1.1kReads9.1Score133Shelves
28. 128 折 Spring Ripples 折春漪 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 240.7kReads9.4Score35.5kShelves
29. 129 咸 The Lazy Tenth Fujin Knows a Little Too Much 咸鱼十福晋懂得有点多 Little Gu Who Loves Hydrangea Pines喜欢绣球松的小谷Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted Welcome to read Guzi's other works on Tomato Novel. Yin'e, the tenth son of the Kangxi Emperor, was famous for being a thickheaded brute. At the imperial selection, he took a liking to Su Celi, a woman with impressive strength. After shamelessly pursuing her, he finally married her, and from then on became a completely different man, henpecked by his wife. Everyone thought Yin'e was finished and felt sorry for him. Though Su Celi was rumored to have trouble bearing children, she became pregnant 9.9kReads8.7Score797Shelves

    Reader note

    Recommend!!!!

30. 130 谁 Who Says a Favored Consort Has to Fight for Power? His Majesty Can't Spoil Me Enough 谁说宠妃要宫斗？陛下宠还来不及 Clashing Gold and Flying Jade铿金霏玉Ancient Romance420k WordsCompleted [Publication rights acquired] [Capricious, wicked, silly beauty vs. dark, obsessive-love maniac tyrant] [Palace intrigue, not a pure romance + doted on from the start + not a strong female lead + a lovesick, unstable woman and a deranged man drawn to each other] Yueli was the top courtesan at Chunfeng Pavilion. She didn't want to be sold to the demon-like general, so on the day she was to leave the brothel, she timidly tugged on the emperor's sleeve... She spent three years throwing her weight a 30.8kReads9.2Score3.6kShelves
31. 131 烽 The War-Torn Green Satchel Book 烽火青囊书 Lone City Cuicui孤城翠翠Ancient Romance386k WordsCompleted During the Changhe era, five powers stood in a delicate balance across Qifeng Commandery. Merchants thrived in the north, farmers in the west, metalworkers in the east, and the southern fields flourished, while the Central River flowed through the city. The great clans were deeply entrenched, and undercurrents stirred everywhere. Meng Xin, an adopted daughter of Fengjitang, possessed the art of bringing the dying back to life, yet her uncertain origins left her adrift like duckweed, struggling t 3Reads—Score—Shelves
32. 132 贵 The Merciless Imperial Consort, the Tyrant Who Hands Her the Knife 贵妃娘娘心狠手辣，暴君他递刀 Late Summer, Not Yet Over夏末未余Ancient Romance333k WordsCompleted [Both leads faithful and powerful + one true pairing + male lead has concubines + dotes on her exclusively from the start + a little palace intrigue and political scheming + System plays a minor role + fast-paced + no brainless tropes + no over-the-top drama + happy ending] [Brutal, calculating tyrant + absolutely rational, breathtakingly beautiful consort] Ye Xiyin has traveled through three thousand worlds and finally reaches the world of her last mission. Then the System tells her to sell her 2.1kReads9.1Score315Shelves

    Reader note

    Not much to say, it just looks good.

33. 133 谁 Who Says I’m a Sickly Weakling? 谁说我是个病秧子 Author Zhong Xiaoqi作者钟小七Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Mutually faithful + scheming + fast-paced + no needless angst + feel-good story + no torturous romance] The two overlooked, pitiful youngest members of the Xie and Lu families marry each other in place of their unreliable older siblings. Lu Xuan thinks, “I have to marry someone, so if it’s Xie Miao, that could be interesting.” Xie Miao thinks, “I have to marry someone, so if it’s Lu Xuan, that could be a relief.” You can have any kind of brain you like, but absolutely do not develop a love-stru 15.2kReads9.0Score1.6kShelves

    Reader note

    The two pitiful little ones from the Lu family and the Xie family made the decision for themselves, pretending to be stupid, and the benefits of marriage are indispensable, so they strive for benefits for themselves...

34. 134 娇 Spoiling the Curvaceous Beauty 娇宠丰腴美人 A Journey Through Mountains and Seas山海一程Ancient Romance333k WordsCompleted Su Yuan was born into the Great Sheng Dynasty, where people prized slender figures. But when she grew up, she was a voluptuous beauty, which made it difficult for her to find a husband. Then, after being selected as a concubine, she was assigned to Prince Qin, Pei Jingheng. Since she was here, she decided to make the best of it. Su Yuan planned to shut the door and live a quiet life of her own. She hadn't expected Pei Jingheng to be handsome and perceptive, with no prejudice against her, even th 18.4kReads9.1Score1.5kShelves

    Reader note

    The first book meets the requirements, it is a story about palace battles in ancient Chinese. The second and third books are both very interesting and recommended. The second book is about palace battles, and the third and fourth books are about sweet pets.

35. 135 娇 The Pampered Little Noble Consort 娇养小贵妃 I Am Lingjun余曰灵均Ancient Romance379k WordsCompleted Shen Si was only the daughter of a fourth-rank prefect. The only reason Prince Kang took an interest in her was her beauty. When she refused to submit to him, he framed her father and brother. Just as she was about to take her own life, unable to bear the humiliation any longer, the emperor swept her into his arms. To avenge her father and brother, she joined the imperial harem and tried every means at her disposal, yet still met her end there. Reborn, she gained the ability to enter other peopl 1.1kReads8.9Score113Shelves
36. 136 白 The Night Before My Ungrateful Sister Entered the Palace, the Favored Consort Was Reborn 白眼狼妹妹进宫前夜，宠妃重生了 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 193.3kReads9.2Score25.3kShelves
37. 137 原 I Thought the Imperial Palace Was a Prison, but the Emperor Held Me by the Waist and Spoiled Me 原以深宫似海，却被帝王锁腰娇宠 Ningning Zi柠柠梓Ancient Romance506k WordsCompleted [Pure historical romance + Empress + Devoted couple and sweet romance + Male lead has planned this for a long time + Not a serious palace-intrigue story] Lu Zhiyuan is the cherished youngest daughter of the Duke of Dingguo’s household. She is exquisitely beautiful, with an accomplished elder brother who supports the family’s prestige and a second elder sister skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting who brings the family honor. She has no need to contribute anything to the family, and 16.4kReads8.9Score1.6kShelves
38. 138 姜 Jiang Yugu 姜域顾 Ningning Zi柠柠梓Ancient Romance300k WordsCompleted [Pure historical romance + devoted and sweet love + a gentle, proactive little princess + doting affection + mutual devotion] Jiang Sui, the seventh imperial princess of the Great Qi Dynasty, was born into a life of luxury and privilege. Bright and lively, she was simple and guileless, never hiding what was on her mind. When she was twelve, she fell in love at first sight with a young man and secretly gave him her heart. From then on, someone lived in her heart, and she kept a little secret all 6.3kReads9.1Score686Shelves
39. 139 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 36kReads9.2Score4.6kShelves
40. 140 慕 Admiring the Golden Bough 慕金枝 A Chang阿長Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Reclusive, violent, unhinged emperor x stunning young lady from a marquis's household who speaks a dialect] The Xianbei aristocracy were born tall and handsome, but every one of them had some flaw: headaches, chest pain, and violent tempers, or a lust for killing, sexual indulgence, and fine food. The imperial Tuoba clan was especially bad. The fourth young lady of the Wuyang Marquis's household caught the eye of the emperor, a nobleman of Xianbei descent, while boating on a lake. He forcibly b 2.4kReads8.7Score260Shelves
41. 141 蠢 The Adorably Clumsy Imperial Consort Is the Emperor's Sole Favorite 蠢萌帝妃，陛下独宠 Fish in the Sea海里鱼Ancient Romance2.3M WordsOngoing Not faithful to each other! Sweet and angsty! No rebirth, transmigration, golden finger, or wish fulfillment! [Palace Intrigue + Political Scheming + Age Gap + Ensemble Cast + Healing + Family and Country + Slow-Burning Romance + A seemingly silly, adorable, pitiful heroine who's actually wise and perceptive vs. a clear-headed, rational emperor who dotes on her] Su Chao is sent into the palace as the family's “little pebble,” and things go disastrously from the start. Her paternal aunt is the em 7.7kReads8.7Score491Shelves
42. 142 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 6.2kReads8.9Score605Shelves
43. 143 娇 The Delicate Little Cabbage Is Ravished by the Old Emperor 娇娇小白菜被老皇帝拱了 Meow Meow Monster Is Adorable喵喵怪可爱Ancient Romance380k WordsCompleted [Transmigration + Sweet Romance + Alternate World + Fatherly Male Lead + Male Lead Is Not Chaste, Female Lead Is] A born workaholic transmigrated into the body of the prime minister’s legitimate daughter. At long last, all this incredible wealth had finally fallen into her lap. A doting prime minister father, a gentle mother, and a brother who adored his little sister. Power, money, and good looks were all hers. She longed for freedom and hoped to spend her life with one person, and one person a 12.6kReads8.7Score1.1kShelves
44. 144 深 A Beauty Hidden Deep in the Palace 深宫藏娇 Cai Wangwang菜汪汪Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Pei Shiyuan had always thought that, as a concubine-born daughter, she thrived at her family home because she knew a little tea ceremony and all she had to do was flatter her father, the head of the household. She had been quite pleased with herself about it, right up until she entered the Eighth Prince’s household. The Eighth Prince’s mother, the Noble Consort, was so favored that the Empress had no room to stand. His maternal family wielded so much power that the court officials could barely b 110.7kReads9.5Score14.2kShelves
45. 145 丈 Five Years After My Husband Died, I’m Pregnant with the Emperor’s Child 丈夫去世五年，守寡怀了皇帝的崽 Salty Fish Boss咸鱼头子Ancient Romance502k WordsCompleted [Stunning widow vs. domineering emperor] [Not both virgins + forbidden tension + raising a child + old flames reignited] Everyone in the capital knows that the legitimate daughter of the Yun family and Third Young Master Lu are a loving couple, devoted to each other. But fate was cruel. Third Young Master Lu was cursed with a short life and died of a serious illness before reaching twenty, leaving behind a beautiful young widow and an unborn child. - Yun Wan has a secret she’s kept buried fo 26.6kReads9.1Score3.2kShelves
46. 146 陛 His Majesty Wants to Resurrect the Princess Every Day 陛下每天都想复活帝姬 Heng Jiujiu恒久九Ancient Romance410k WordsCompleted A portrait and a jade pendant awakened Yue Wuyan, the imperial princess who had been sleeping within the painting. The moment the Immortal Music Princess, famed for her beauty across the land five hundred years ago, appeared, she became the prize coveted by every faction. But to Chu Jinyuan, Yue Wuyan was his light. He first met her at eleven, fell in love with her as a boy of fifteen, and ascended the throne at twenty, all so he could make that light part of his very being. She disliked killing 3.1kReads8.5Score465Shelves
47. 147 我 My Husband Holds Power over the Court, and My Mother Rules the Inner Palace 我夫权倾朝野，我娘宠冠后宫 Xiao Wan萧绾Ancient Romance272k WordsCompleted [Pure Historical Romance + Sweet Romance + Court Intrigue] Everyone says Princess Jin Jia was pampered from childhood, treasured like royalty, yet she's just a pretty but useless ornament? Zhao Yining doesn't care. She wraps herself in sheepskin, plays the pig to eat the tiger, and just keeps grinding! Her fiancé wants to run away? Don't let the door hit you on the way out. A sleazy man wants to get close? Get lost as far away as possible. She can dodge open attacks and fend off hidden arrows. A 2.8kReads8.9Score247Shelves
48. 148 贵 The Sweet and Gentle Noble Consort Has Captured the Emperor’s Heart 贵妃软糯，牵动帝王心 Spring Has Filled the Blossoming Branches华枝春已满Ancient Romance674k WordsCompleted Sweet romance + palace intrigue + a slow, steady love story + adorable children + devoted love later on In the sixth year of Zhengli, Qu Su, daughter of the Imperial Medical Academy's director, was ordered to enter the palace. Many years later, Qu Su had risen from Junior Lady to Noble Consort. Her children surrounded her, and her Yuyan cosmetics shops had spread throughout the land. Looking back, she saw that the man had always been protecting her from behind. Qu Su: I love you, and I love myse 25.8kReads9.1Score2.9kShelves
49. 149 不 Everyday Romance in the Eastern Palace, Without Fighting for the Throne 不用夺嫡的东宫恋爱日常 Little Black Sesame Rice Balls黑芝麻馅儿的小汤圆儿Ancient Romance366k WordsCompleted (A note for readers: This is a fictional 1v1 sweet romance with devoted leads. No rebirth or transmigration. The hero falls in love at first sight and has been plotting for a long time.) Gu Xihe is the eldest legitimate daughter of the prime minister of the Great Xia Dynasty. Her beauty is peerless, as stunning as a peony in full bloom. Before she even comes of age, the young scions of the capital's noble families are already vying for her hand, and even the emperor wants her to marry into the i 5.1kReads8.9Score646Shelves
50. 150 智 Wise Men Avoid Love, and the Noble Consort Wants No Responsibility 智者不入爱河，贵妃不想负责 Uncle Luo洛叔叔Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Being a beggar would be better than being in the harem. Shen Qing is despairing over her current identity. The female lead won't appear for another two years, and Shen Qing is the lowest-ranking consort in the male lead's harem. Her father is useless, and she has neither money nor power. It seems her only option is to wait for the emperor's favor. To make matters worse, she has a face that attracts trouble. If she fights for influence, she has no leverage; if she doesn't, she'll just get bullied 43.8kReads9.5Score5.1kShelves

    Reader note

    Although these two books contain time travel, they are rich in content. They are all about palace fighting. I highly recommend them. It depends on my reading time. They are worth reading.

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