Pure Historical Romance, Not a Wish-Fulfillment Story, with a Twisty, Sweeping Plot 纯古言，非爽文，故事曲折，荡气回肠的

1. 1 农 The Country Girl Picks Up a Villainous Big Shot 农女捡来反派大佬 Li Jinji理谨记Ancient Romance336k WordsCompleted [Down-to-Earth Farm Girl × Amnesiac Villain Who Bows to Her] [Marriage Before Love] [Both Leads Are Faithful] [Ensemble Cast] Su Qing found a man covered in blood by the river. He had lost his memory and was sweet and clingy, so Su Qing named him Dashan. She spent all her savings to save him, shared a simple life with him, and married him. Brilliant beyond compare, he led the whole village in growing medicinal herbs and becoming prosperous, and cherished her above all else. He told her, “You are 31Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   The phrase "heart-stirring" perfectly describes this book.

2. 2 错 Mistaken for the Man from That Night, the Prince Keeps Fighting to Win Her Back 错认那夜的男人，王爷他又争又抢 Huai Si怀思Ancient Romance204k WordsCompleted Completed. [Levelheaded transmigrated woman x calculating military prince] [Lust first, love later + one-on-one romance + modern knowledge changes fate] Su Xiyue has barely transmigrated when she faces a disaster from the start: the Su family falls on hard times, her fiance tears up their marriage contract, and then buys her as a lowly maid to order around. At his current lover's instigation, he even sells her to a brothel. A mysterious man buys her first night at the brothel. After their night 14Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   These two books I read recently are alright.

3. 3 女 A Top Female Scholar Transmigrates to Ancient Times: Climbing the Career Ladder and Wooing Men 女学霸穿越古代，升职撩汉两不误 The Seventh Young Master of March三月的七少Ancient Romance220k WordsCompleted Complete! [Forceful pursuit + love-hate relationship + groveling redemption + woman disguising herself as a man] Song Xiaotong, mistakenly taken by the underworld, transmigrates to the Great Han Dynasty, where she meets Prince Ning, Bei Minghe, and the Hanlin Academy director, Ren Simo. Prince Ning, Bei Minghe, resents her original father. At first, he buys her from a brothel to torment her, but gradually discovers her exceptional abilities and comes to like her. By then, however, she has alr 7Reads—Score—Shelves
4. 4 陟 The Bright Moon over Zhishan: A Few Tales of Me and My Godfather, Wang Anshi 陟山明月：我与干爹王安石二三事 Strings of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion潇湘馆的琴弦Ancient Romance255k WordsOngoing [Transmigrate as the Female Lead ➕ Second Marriage ➕ Play the Pig to Eat the Tiger ➕ Beat the Scumbag Senseless ➕ The Twelve Beauties of Jiangning] Historical records say that Wang Anshi took his second daughter-in-law as his adopted daughter and married her off to Prince Qi, Zhao Hao?! Little do they know that she transmigrated to the Northern Song dynasty, going from a kitchen maid in the inner courtyard all the way to becoming a princess consort! The moonlight shines on more than the rear cou 2Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   It's quite a convoluted story. The synopsis suggests the female lead is remarrying, and the romantic relationships are unclear so far; she doesn't seem to have much affection for any men. The themes of sisterhood and promoting independent thought are very interesting.

5. 5 花 Flower Demon 花妖 Cotton Flower棉花花Ancient Romance337k WordsCompleted [Past and Present Lives + One True Love + Palace Intrigue and Power Struggles] A thousand years of longing will not go unanswered; a lifetime of devotion will never bring regret! A brilliant, resilient surgeon versus a suspicious, ruthless God of War general! Meeting him was the bond of fate from her past life, and the tribulation of this one. A tearjerking tale of a white plum blossom in the immortal realm of Qilian, a true dragon, and a snowflake reincarnated to endure a trial. The white plum 6.5kReads9.5Score1kShelves

   Reader note

   They're all high-scoring, not mindless, and all beautiful.

6. 6 千 Record of a Thousand Lanterns 千灯录 A Chilly Breeze on Either Side侧侧轻寒Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Mystery solving + palace intrigue and household scheming + face-slapping and revenge + powerful families + court and kingdom] Fifteen prospective husbands are locked in a fight to the death in my family’s back courtyard, while all I want is to become a nun. Schemes and deceit, suspicion at every turn, bloodshed and tragedy piling up, a deadly battle in the back courtyard with no survivors allowed. [The high-born judge of the Court of Judicial Review, who loves wiping out entire households] x [T 22.7kReads9.4Score4.3kShelves
7. 7 忘 The Tribulation of the Forgotten River 忘川劫 Jiu Lu Feixiang九鹭非香Ancient Romance172k WordsCompleted [“Cold and ruthless God of War” Moxi VS “Heartless Stone Spirit” Sansheng] “If you can catch me, I’ll be yours!” She is the Three-Life Spirit Stone by the River of Forgetfulness, beside the other shore’s flowers, guiding souls through the consequences of their deeds. He is the renowned God of War of the Nine Heavens, with no room for personal feelings, devoted only to all living beings. A stone has no heart, and a warrior no tenderness. Though they are worlds apart, a casual remark binds them to 28.4kReads9.6Score3.7kShelves
8. 8 蒙 The Tarnished Young Noble 蒙尘贵公子 Three Autumns, Looking North三秋北顾Ancient Romance297k WordsCompleted [Historical Romance + Sweet Romance + Winning Her Back + Happy Ending] Ming He thought her husband was the most remarkable man in the world. He could recite poems like the most learned teacher at the academy, lines she didn’t fully understand but found utterly lovely, and even his offhand references to old stories carried an elegant, literary charm. He could also move like the fleetest hunter in the mountains, leaping and climbing with astonishing skill, as if these towering peaks were his own 100Reads6.8Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   The story is so captivating that you won't be able to put it down after just two chapters.

9. 9 命 The One Destined for Me: The Crown Pact 命定之人：王冠契 Three Autumns, Looking North三秋北顾Ancient Romance212k WordsCompleted The day they first met, the snow had stopped and the sky was clear, with the golden sun just rising. She seemed like a fairy who had accidentally fallen from the ninth-tier Jade Lake into the mortal world. By chance, she stepped through the pristine snow, bringing an air of cool purity to this ordinary place. He reined in his horse at the corner of the bustling street. Seeing her breathtaking beauty and hearing 115Reads6.7Score—Shelves
10. 10 侯 The Marquis's Estate Forgot Its Gratitude? The Regent Backs Me, and I Won't Forgive Them 侯府忘恩义？摄政王撑腰，不原谅 Chu Diandian初点点Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Luo Ning took a blade meant for the Empress Dowager and suffered severe injuries, trading her life for her family's noble title. She went south to recuperate for three years, but when she returned, she discovered that her maternal cousin had taken over her courtyard. Her cousin had even replaced her in every aspect. Luo Ning's parents and elder brother adored her, her grandmother favored her, and even Luo Ning's childhood sweetheart secretly admired her, saying that she surpassed Luo Ning in eve 177.6kReads9.4Score27kShelves

    Reader note

    Super good-looking historical romance novel!!

11. 11 暴 The Tyrant Tormented Me? I'll Turn Around, Seduce the Powerful Eunuch, and Seize His Empire 暴君虐我？转身勾搭权宦夺他江山 Green Mountain Has Its Say青山有辞Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted For eight years in the palace, Xiangjun fought to get ahead and tried to please everyone, yet the palace’s noble masters still ground her down, used her, humiliated her, and cast her aside... Those nobles basked in all the wealth of the realm atop heaps of corpses and bones, yet mocked her for trying her hardest and not knowing her place. In the end, the child Xiangjun risked her life to bear called her enemy “Mother,” while Xiangjun was cut open alive so the baby could be taken from her. She di 115.1kReads9.6Score16.6kShelves
12. 12 桃 Ride Out to Battle, Peach Blossoms in My Wake 桃花马上请长缨 June六月Ancient Romance2.0M WordsCompleted The short drama adaptation of June's novel, Power and Favor 3: Power and Favor in the Capital, is now available on Hongguo App. She cared for her in-laws and used her dowry to support the General's household, only for him to use his hard-won military achievements to ask for the female general's hand as his equal wife. Zhan Beiwang mocked her. “Song Xixie, do you know that your fine clothes, rich food, and glittering jewels all come from General Yi Fang and me fighting bloody battles to hold back 15kReads9.5Score5.5kShelves
13. 13 帝 A Tyrant's Forced Love: The Love Curse Is Cast, Don't Even Think of Escaping! 帝王强制爱：情蛊已下，别想逃！ Meilun美伦Ancient Romance399k WordsCompleted Powerful abduction + deranged obsession + overwhelming possessiveness + ruthless plunder + devoted to each other + happy ending Complete (rating just opened) Shen Wanjun thought the man in the estate was of lowly status, never imagining he was Prince Jin, a member of the imperial court. She thought he was harmless, but he was actually ruthless and skilled at concealing his true nature. Like a starving wolf lurking in the shadows, he could bare his fangs at her at any moment. When his vile desi 6.1kReads6.7Score381Shelves

    Reader note

    This is very beautiful.

14. 14 国 The Imperial Academy’s Fallen Woman 国子监破鞋 Flying King1996飞大王1996Ancient Romance1.4M WordsOngoing 136,543 people have already missed this book because of its title... One-of-a-kind pure heroine + nobody is innocent + romance and desire + the fate of the nation. Beauty fades, and with it, love. Golden fingers are just something people say to fool the gullible. She is a soul from another world, sharp-eyed and streetwise. In this decaying dynasty, she aims to amass a fortune beyond imagination and avoid the humiliation China suffered over the past century. 20Reads9.2Score168Shelves

    Reader note

    Breaking away from the old clichés of classical romance novels and focusing on social change rather than romantic love, the novel's concept is refreshing.

15. 15 仙 The Immortal Venerable Sells Goods: Getting Rich with a Sect of Beauties 仙尊带货，从美女宗门开始暴富 Pale Face, Kind Heart脸白心不黑Urban1.4M WordsCompleted [Profiting between two worlds] + [Cultivation] + [Spiritual Qi Revival] + [Gorgeous master] + [farming] Li Shangyan suddenly gained the ability to travel between two worlds with his soul. In the resource-poor Cultivation world, he possesses perfect mastery of the five elements. Though invincible among those at his level, his cultivation is so slow that his sect nearly gives up on him. But! Spirit stones are just jade, and Blue Star has plenty. Is it hard to grow spirit herbs? Blue Star's agricul 3.7kReads8.0Score410Shelves

    Reader note

    😏😏😏

16. 16 我 My Host! The Path to Godhood Through Magic, Cleared in One Year 我宿主！魔法成神路，一年速通 Mao Yuyu猫渔渔Modern Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [No male lead + another world + livestreaming + strong female lead] Also known as: She Becomes a Legend at the Welcome Party, and the Top-Tier Star of Magic Is Actually a Mage! Fa Liyue, a first-year voice acting major, is picked to perform at the welcome party. She thinks she's about to embarrass herself, but then a shocking System suddenly appears, and she draws a magic skill. As long as she performs magic in front of people and earns shock points, she can get all kinds of rewards. From then o 4kReads8.6Score533Shelves
17. 17 神 The Real Heiress Is a Billionaire: What’s a Few Hundred Million to Me? 神豪真千金，我有亿点钱怎么了 Fireworks in June烟花六月Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted When Li Ran had nowhere left to turn, a Godlike Wealth System landed in her lap. From then on, Li Ran went on a rampage: “Spend, spend, spend! Anyone who gets in my way is getting crushed!” Limited-edition supercar? Buy it! Luxury mansion? Buy it! Auction? Bid big! I don't care what rare treasure it is, if I like it, it's mine! The whole internet was stunned: #MysteriousRichLadySisterLi had appeared out of nowhere, spending money like a flood and playing by her own rules! Just as Li Ran was havi 24.6kReads8.2Score3.2kShelves
18. 18 神 Tycoon: The System from Heaven and a Guide to Becoming Tall, Rich, and Handsome 神豪：天降系统，高富帅养成指南 This Heaven-Sent Fortune这泼天富贵Two Male Leads415k WordsCompleted [Two male leads + tycoon system + wealthy CEO + feel-good story + one-on-one romance] Living like a servant despite being the young master of a wealthy family? On his eighteenth birthday, Jiang Nan finally learned why, and was promptly disowned and kicked out with nothing. It turned out he was the family’s fake young master. No wonder nobody had ever cared for or loved him. Then he would make it on his own. He was an adult now, after all. But choosing the wrong career could ruin everything, and 162Reads7.9Score—Shelves
19. 19 让 I Told You to Cultivate Immortality, Not Wreak Havoc in the Cultivation World! 让你修仙，没让你祸害修仙界啊！ The Angler Who Catches Big Fish钓鱼佬钓大鱼Eastern Fantasy2.3M WordsOngoing [Comedy][Sneaky Schemer][Lighthearted][Absurd][Gets Better the Further You Read] [This book focuses on comedy and fun. The pace is somewhat slow, so please do not read it if that bothers you.] Year 17,863 of the Cultivation Calendar When Emperor Qin Yu became an immortal and ascended, powerful figures from every realm came to see him off. Firecrackers exploded, and everyone had tears in their eyes as they murmured their farewells. Sect Elder: “He's leaving. This scourge is finally leaving. We ca 173.7kReads9.1Score24.1kShelves
20. 20 霜 Frostblade Starry Sky 霜刃星穹 Red-Eyed Star星辰红眼Historical167k WordsCompleted Synopsis: On a snowy night in the seventeenth year of Yongchang, sixteen-year-old Xiao Hanyuan shields his twin sister in a ruined temple. Beneath him is a cold stone floor, and in his heart, a family feud still unavenged. The girl who bursts into his life with a sword, Mu Yunzhao, has no idea that this encounter will change the fate of all the Nine Provinces. As the Hidden Radiance Alliance's covert network quietly spreads through the capital, the former dynasty's black-bird totem reappears, an —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I recommend *Frosty Blade Starry Sky*. The heavens hang low, the frost-covered blade awaits its cry; opening this volume transports you to the vast world of martial arts. The writing flows with an ancient spirit: swordsmen wield their blades under the moon, knights ride swiftly on horseback, every word a tapestry of clashing blades and tender emotions, the ink concealing both the exhilaration of the martial world and the undercurrents of the imperial court. Though a new work, its writing is remarkably skillful, the plot unfolding like a carefully unraveling tapestry, the characters displaying the noble spirit of plum blossoms braving the snow. If you appreciate the spirit of martial arts and chivalrous legends, *Frosty Blade Starry Sky* is a must-read; as its brilliance unfolds, it is sure to become a masterpiece.

21. 21 黎 Bloodstone of the Li 黎血石 Fallen Leaves and Sunflowers叶落向日葵Eastern Fantasy101k WordsOngoing Is the bloodstone left behind from ancient times part of a conspiracy, or the product of a fool's fervent passion? As Yang Chengli and Xia Sitong make their way to the martial arts school, they gradually uncover one conspiracy after another... —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This is a story novel set in ancient times with a touch of demons and monsters; it's currently a very enjoyable read.

22. 22 明 The Tale of Ming Yi 明逸传 A Tangle of Flavors百味杂陈Eastern Fantasy1.6M WordsCompleted Fantasy, wuxia, the martial world, the imperial court, history... The imagination runs wild. A lonely youth ventures down a road of death, rising from a lowly black-market merchant to an unrivaled pillar of the nation. He wields the way of commerce like a blade to resolve a thousand-year feud, but in the end chooses to stand in the divide between the throne and the martial world, reaching the pinnacle under a different identity. 1.8kReads8.2Score176Shelves

    Reader note

    This should be suitable.

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