2026'S Best Palace Intrigue, Household Intrigue, and Period Dramas 2026宫斗宅斗、古风世情巅峰神作

1. 401 逆 Defying Fate to Love: The Carp Spirit's Pampered Young Lady 逆天改命也要爱：鲤鱼精的娇小姐 Ling Yutong翎雨彤Two Female Leads753k WordsOngoing [Eastern fantasy romance! Both leads are devoted to each other! Two female leads! One-on-one romance!] A little angsty. If it doesn’t make you cry, that just means the author’s writing isn’t good enough. A little carp who has just cultivated into a spirit, and the daughter of a prime minister. The carp has barely become a spirit when she hears terrible news: the kind friend who has fed her for over ten years is close to death. What kind of newly made little spirit has to rack her fish brains to 141Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   Shemale love, oriental fantasy romance, double cleansing, double heroines, the subject matter is novel and beautiful!

2. 402 退 After Breaking Off the Engagement, the Foolish Princess Marries the Ninth Lord with Her Four Maids 退婚后，傻妃携四大丫鬟嫁九千岁 Clingy Little Tomato粘人小番茄Ancient Romance1.7M WordsOngoing [Palace Intrigue + Household Intrigue + Historical Romance + Princess Consort + Legitimate Daughter + Medical Skills + Two Powerful Leads + Cunning + Playing the Fool + Reborn + Fiercely Protective + Political Scheming] 99% of the comments are positive! Read with confidence! Su Qian, once the leader of a special forces unit in the apocalypse, died unexpectedly while carrying out a mission. With her portable medical space, she transmigrated to ancient times and into the residence of a great gener 26kReads8.1Score4.6kShelves

   Reader note

   Xiao Yan, the crazy critic, seemed ruthless on the surface, but in fact he didn't even dare to breathe when his hands were bandaged. Su Qianqian said that this generation of villains is too difficult to lead, and even a treatment for an injury requires modern medical knowledge. [Seeking attention]

3. 403 穿 The Daily Life of a Laid-Back Concubine After Transmigrating 穿越之闲鱼妾室的日常 Tian Nanxing Nan天南星南Ancient Romance480k WordsCompleted [Transmigration + household and palace intrigue + no golden finger + devoted love later on] Zhang Xinian transmigrated into the body of a concubine in Prince Jing’s household. Above her was the princess consort, backed by powerful connections and ruthless in her methods. Beside her was a brainless side consort with overwhelming fighting prowess. Below her, a reborn woman and a transmigrated woman were locked in fierce competition. Zhang Xinian trembled with fear. She had no golden finger and did 89.6kReads9.4Score9.9kShelves
4. 404 宫 Palace Intrigue Begins Before the Selection 宫斗从选秀前开始 A Cluster of Flowers一丛花令Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted In her previous life, she endured a life of hardship and instability. From the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Wu’an to a government courtesan available to any man, she finally escaped a life of being passed from one man to another, only to jump from the tiger’s jaws into the wolf’s den. She walked on eggshells at every step until she finally became the real power behind the prefect’s household. But the misery of her first half of life had already left her body broken beyond repair. Only o 7.9kReads9.0Score838Shelves
5. 405 九 Ninefold Brocade 九重锦 Evening Breeze Under the Moon月下晚风Ancient Romance715k WordsCompleted Household and palace intrigue, with the leads not both being each other's first. A fictional setting, with all ranks and titles made up. A heroine who grows over time and isn't blinded by love. After being suppressed for more than a decade, a concubine-born daughter has her fate rearranged overnight. Entering the prince's manor only fuels her ambition. Her birth father ignores her, allowing her stepmother to torment her and her mother for half their lives without ever offering them the slightest 32.9kReads9.3Score5.6kShelves
6. 406 继 Successor 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 86.7kReads9.5Score10.7kShelves
7. 407 宫 A Rhapsody of Palace Flowers 宫花赋 Six-Eared Yuanyuan六耳圆圆Ancient Romance681k WordsCompleted [A no-nonsense, trope-defying palace-intrigue drama + no love for the emperor + ensemble of women] Everyone has their own ambitions. I have no interest in fighting other women over a man. She was little Qing Luo, a girl who valued her life above all else. Abandoned by her parents as a child, she had wandered through hardship until she entered the Forbidden City, where she met the beautiful, gracious Yue Ren and the clever, perceptive Lü Zhu. At last, her wandering heart found a home. The three s 31kReads9.8Score4kShelves
8. 408 皇 Has the Noble Consort Left Qirong Palace Today? 皇贵妃今天出栖容宫了吗？ Xiaoman Crisp小满酥Ancient Romance528k WordsCompleted [☆No transmigration, no rebirth, and no pristine couples] [☆The romance develops gradually] Everyone in the palace knew that the person they must never offend was neither the pampered and fiery Noble Consort Hui nor the peerlessly beautiful Consort Cen, but Noble Consort Zhe of Qirong Palace, Lady Fucha. A consort's guide to survival: If you want to get ahead, never provoke the lady of Qirong Palace. She was the emperor's first woman, his companion and confidante since their youth; the mother 17.4kReads9.3Score1.5kShelves
9. 409 谋 Scheming for the Heir 谋嫡 Master Hua花爷Ancient Romance403k WordsCompleted From being a pawn sent by her elder half-sister to the Third Prince's residence to climbing over a mountain of blood and claiming the empress's throne, Lin Wanying did just one thing: she kept Zhao Xuan firmly by her side. 3kReads9.1Score531Shelves
10. 410 宫 Locked Behind Palace Walls: A Concubine-Born Daughter's Plot to Become Empress 宫墙锁：庶女谋后 Qing Yan Jun卿言君Ancient Romance132k WordsCompleted From concubine-born daughter to empress, she breaks through the barriers of distinction between legitimate and illegitimate birth. Watch as she turns the tide and manipulates the court in this murderous imperial harem, forging a legend of her own… 9Reads—Score—Shelves
11. 411 爷 My Lord, the Princess Consort Has Run Away Again 爷，王妃又离家出走了 66 Doesn't Eat Cilantro66不吃香菜Ancient Romance223k WordsCompleted (Transmigration | A Powerful Pair | Love and Hate | Political Intrigue and Revenge | Both Leads Are Brilliant) Shi Yue, born into a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in the twenty-eighth century, transmigrates in an instant. She becomes a lowly concubine-born daughter of the Yunyang Marquis’s household and keeps her true abilities hidden as she investigates the truth behind her mother’s death. Overnight, the marquis’s household is brought down, and she is branded a traitor and 5Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    See if any of these books are suitable

12. 412 从 The Legendary Comeback After I Transmigrated Out of a Pit Latrine 从茅坑穿越后的逆袭传奇 Eldest Son of the Huang Family黄家大郎Historical5.0M WordsOngoing Jiang Yuan was a top science and engineering student in the 21st century. By accident, he transmigrated from an outhouse to the parallel world of the Great Zhou Dynasty, where he became the son of the Duke of Liang. But the moment he arrived, he was saddled with a huge problem. He had publicly humiliated the daughter of the Duke Who Guards the Nation and was suspected of cursing the duke. The son of the chancellor, the notorious top wastrel of Yan’an City, was kicked out of the capital by the em 21.9kReads8.4Score1.8kShelves
13. 413 咱 Our Family Has Been Bandits for Generations, and You Went and Passed the Top Scholar Exam 咱家世代贼寇，你小子考上状元了 Over Ten Thousand Words a Day日更过万Historical2.1M WordsCompleted The short drama adaptation, Our Family Has Been Bandits for Generations, and You Went and Passed the Imperial Exams, premieres on November 21 at 9:00. Reservations are open now! Qin Yu transmigrated to ancient times. His father was the chief of Blackwind Stronghold, with wanted posters plastered all over the city gates. His mother was the Holy Maiden of the Black Lotus Sect, a notorious female fiend in the martial world. His grandfather had once attempted a rebellion... His grandmother was a pri 29.7kReads8.6Score3.3kShelves
14. 414 金 The Golden Son-in-Law 金牌帝婿 Misty Rain’烟雨’Historical3.0M WordsCompleted [Farming] [Lighthearted] [Alternate world] [No System] Qin Yu transmigrates, and from the start he’s the second son of the Prince of Qin’s household. His father is a non-imperial prince of Great Wei and the Minister of Revenue. His mother is a wealthy daughter of a prominent Jiangnan family. His older brother is a peerless general who guards the frontier. With such powerful connections and an exalted position, Qin Yu gives up on ambition, indulging in wine, women, and song, and reclining in the 53.2kReads9.0Score5.4kShelves
15. 415 帝 The Art of Imperial Politics: The Jiajing Era 帝王心术：嘉靖时代 Shu Yao Jiu舒窈纠Historical227k WordsCompleted This novel offers a profound look at Jiajing’s transformation from an energetic reformer into an emperor obsessed with Daoism. Daoist priests such as Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zhongwen used mysticism to manipulate his inner world; Yan Song and his son won favor with Daoist prayers and monopolized power for twenty years; Xu Jie bided his time before finally bringing down the treacherous ministers; and Hai Rui risked his life to submit a memorial condemning the ills of the age. Together, these vivid ch 1.1kReads6.9Score103Shelves

    Reader note

    Jiajing: "Come on, everyone, what kind of emperor am I? I can't recognize my own father as my father?! Isn't this the biggest joke in the world?! Who are you bullying?! However, I am also very awesome. Even though I haven't been in court for decades, no one dares to rebel against me?!"... Based on history, brilliant literary talent! The Emperor's Mind is worth reading!

16. 416 明 The Ming Dynasty’s Special Reconnaissance Troops: The Night Watchmen 明朝特种侦察兵夜不收 Shu Yao Jiu舒窈纠Historical456k WordsCompleted A battle of wits between elite scouts, a shadow war of espionage full of twists, and a poignant romance between two people caught in forces beyond their control: all this awaits in the legendary tale of the Ming Dynasty’s Night-Rejecting scouts! During the Jiajing era, unrest flares along the frontier as the Mongols and Jurchens watch hungrily from the shadows. An elite reconnaissance unit known as the Night-Rejectors becomes the sharpest hidden blade guarding the Ming border. Shen Yan, the son 950Reads6.3Score144Shelves

    Reader note

    "Ye Bu Shu" is a special and elite scout in the border army of China's Ming Dynasty. Please take a look: hard-core reconnaissance duel, layer-by-layer reversal of spy battles, and involuntary affection, all in this legend of the Ming Dynasty special scouts! Exciting, suspenseful, and dangerous... It's so exciting... The big man rises...

17. 417 嫡 The Poisonous Heart of the Legitimate Daughter: Reborn to Slay Scumbags and Crush White Lotuses 嫡女毒心：重生斩渣男虐白莲 Aged Wine Mixed with Aged Tangerine Peel陈年酒兑陈皮Ancient Romance158k WordsCompleted Reborn once, I won't be a lovesick fool. I'll be an avenging demon! My half-sister pretends to be innocent? I'll rip off her mask! That scumbag plots treason? I'll have his entire clan executed! They steal my family's fortune? I'll leave them penniless and begging in the streets! They hurt my family? I'll make them outcasts and leave them dead without a whole body! A legitimate daughter with a venomous heart: I repay every grudge and settle every debt! I am made a commandery princess, then a duk —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    A very suitable book.

18. 418 真 The True and False Heiresses: Peace Year After Year 真假嫡女：岁岁平安 Silly Chen Chen憨人陈陈Ancient Romance612k WordsOngoing [Signed, currently updating] [Switched at birth and fate exchanged + fake death and awakening + two generations of grudges + political intrigue and revenge + pseudo-siblings + devoted couple, happy ending] A cool-headed, resilient outcast daughter of the Prime Minister's household × a fallen prince biding his time Nine years of longing carved into their bones; at last, they find their way to each other In outsiders' eyes, Lu An'an is a crude country girl who was raised in the countryside. Being —Reads6.8Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Everyone in the world thinks she is a vulgar and abandoned daughter, but they don't know that she has already held the sharp blade of revenge and is running in both directions.

19. 419 穿 After I Transmigrated, I Reunited with the General in the Modern World 穿越后，我和将军在现代重逢 Li Jiabeibei黎家蓓蓓Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted Eight hundred years ago, she was Princess Lingxi of the Bai Kingdom, and he was Sha Chi, the general charged with defending its city. On the day the city fell, they drank poison and promised to find each other in their next lives. Eight hundred years later, she was Li Ruoxin, a graduate student in archaeology, and he was Mo Haoqian, an investigator with the national security agency. A golden hairpin unearthed from Heishui City awakened their memories across the cycle of reincarnation. In those m 4kReads8.7Score48.5kShelves

    Reader note

    From Jin Chai to Dream involves the past of dynasty overthrow, family, country and love in troubled times are intertwined, creating a full sense of atmosphere

20. 420 被 Cast Aside and Left for Dead in a Pool, the Abandoned Wife Is Cherished by the God of War 被休坠潭后，弃妇被战神揣怀里宠 Walking Through Mist and Rain with a Bamboo Hat一笠烟雨行Ancient Romance602k WordsOngoing As the mistress of a marquis’s household, she gave her whole heart and poured all her medical skill into serving her family. In return, she received a divorce decree stamped with the imperial seal and was pushed into an icy pool, trapped in a deadly plot! Everyone mocked her as a disgraced criminal, a cast-off wife, and a woman doomed to die. When she opened her eyes again, she had returned from the ashes. Her silver needles could kill, and her medical skills were godlike. Whoever bullied, humil 7Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Human life is long and short. Many of the characters in this article have their own personalities and stories, including satisfaction and regret. This is life.

21. 421 寒 The Poisonous Queen from a Humble Family 寒门毒后 Strolling Among the Clouds ing漫步云端ingAncient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Pure palace intrigue, with an entire cast of villains! The early story lays the groundwork, while the later plot moves at a breakneck pace, with every step carefully planned! The impoverished Su family of the capital sells everything they own to send their illegitimate daughter, Su Wanyun, into the palace. She has no transmigration golden finger, no foreknowledge from being reborn, and no System to give her an advantage. All she has is a brilliant mind and boundless courage. In the deep palace, 1.6kReads6.3Score147Shelves

    Reader note

    Whether you reach the top or not depends on you guys.

22. 422 长 The Chang'an Palace Coup: The Prince She Saved Went Mad 长安宫变，她救的王爷疯了 Tuoba Hong of the Eastern Palace东殿的拓跋宏Ancient Romance207k WordsOngoing As a female official, she plots her every move at the court of the Great Yin. Empress Dowager Fu lays a deadly trap, the princes watch like hawks, and Emperor Rui seems gentle but is actually suspicious of everyone. With undercurrents surging through the palace and court, Xiao Xuan is trapped in a dead end, yet plays the pig to eat the tiger and turns the tables against the odds. Chao Shutong enters the dangerous game alone, determined to protect the one she loves. 656Reads6.5Score693Shelves

    Reader note

    A palace coup that changed the fate of the entire dynasty, a bond that began in crisis. When the once glorious prince turned into a mad prince that everyone ridiculed, when the quiet and dormant female official in the palace chose to buck the trend. All forces in the court take turns to appear, people's hearts are unpredictable, and every step is dangerous. The logic of the conspiracy line is online, and the restrained and pulled emotions between the male and female protagonists are particularly touching. It is a high-quality new work with an ancient style.

23. 423 吾 My Three Wishes 吾有三愿 Mechanical Wang机械汪Ancient Romance769k WordsOngoing [Mad Empress × Reclusive Powerful Official] [Past and Present Lives] [Sweetness and Heartbreak] [Fated Redemption] [Alternate World] [Male-to-Female] (This story focuses on [Two Powerful Leads Growing Together] [Devotion Taken to the Extreme]. It blends sweetness with heartbreak and is not mindless wish fulfillment. Read with care if that's not your thing!) In their modern-day past life, the two parted forever on a snowy night. Snow covered his wheelchair; his three wishes went unfulfilled, and 47Reads7.7Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I am currently following the second volume. I really like the author's writing style and the sense of gradual progression from the ancient sayings. From a strong woman to a strong woman, the characters are all achieving each other's achievements. From the harem to the world, to the former dynasty, and finally to the common people! The story keeps reversing, and everyone's IQ is online. It is really a rare masterpiece of ancient literature! Recommend

24. 424 白 Bai Chengjin 白城烬 Red Convertible Mustang红色敞篷野马Ancient Romance423k WordsCompleted [Fallen Princess × Northern Wei Emperor | Two Powerhouses Plotting for Power | Taking by Force | Dangerous Relationship | Marriage First, Love Later] Helian Nayan was born when Hu Xia was at its height, and grew up as the Helian family fell into decay. She had seen her father, Helian Bobo, build an empire that seemed to reach the heavens. She had also watched her brothers tear at one another amid the empire's very lifeblood. She understood early on that a dynasty was not a family, and kinship w 41Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    It's very, very beautiful. I can only say that I am a genius at finding books.

25. 425 明 The Bright Moon Is a Dragon, and the Scheming Crown Prince Can't Hide It 明月她是龙，腹黑太子藏不住了 Fang Fang Zi Ya芳芳子呀Ancient Romance134k WordsOngoing [Xianxia Political Intrigue, Sweet Romance and Heartbreak, Intense Push and Pull, Mutual Devotion] [Calculating and Patient Crown Prince X Lazy Dragon Princess] Everyone says Pei Mingyue of the Yuehua Dragon Clan is a useless dragon, sent by the elders to marry into the human race and unlikely to survive three months. Only she knows that not only did she survive, but she also made a home with a human physician. She thinks he is just an ordinary doctor, unaware that he is the crown prince, a powe —Reads—Score—Shelves
26. 426 草 The Little Grassland Teacher and the Wolf King Khan 草原小老师与狼王汗 Da Wan Clear Water大婉清水Ancient Romance371k WordsOngoing I’m a Han woman who transmigrated to the grasslands and was captured alive by the Great Khan. He bathed thirty-six tribes in blood for me and swore his devotion by offering to sever his own arm. He carved a wolf totem into my palm: “Shen Qinghuan, you are my moon.” But then his royal parents, missing for ten years, suddenly returned. They disapproved of my frail health, drugged him, and forced him to marry a noblewoman. On his wedding night, he charged into my tent with bloodshot eyes and kne —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Looking forward to it🥰

27. 427 圣 Heavenly Prison of Sacred Sorrow 圣殇天狱 Clouds Are Drifting云在飘扬Eastern Fantasy2.6M WordsOngoing The sky went dark in a cataclysmic explosion, and the Myriad Worlds sank into a haze of gray mist, like a living hell. The continents of the Myriad Worlds trembled from time to time. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and desolation spread everywhere. The divine beings vanished as a group, becoming legends. All that remained were those below the divine level, clinging to life. The bleak world lay desolate in every direction. Its darkness had to be torn away bit by bit to restore the light! The chaot 112Reads8.9Score108Shelves

    Reader note

    An all-encompassing fantasy ceiling epic, Emperor Ziyun of the Qing Sword Dao Sect is calling

28. 428 惊 A Stunning Figure Across the World: After I Transmigrated, I Became a Female Strategist 惊鸿天下，穿越后我成了女军师 Old Liu Is Busy老榴忙Ancient Romance321k WordsOngoing Two powerful leads · A deeply painful romance · A beautiful, tragic heroine · The hero's long road to winning her back · Political maneuvering · A powerful woman building from the ground up · A struggle for dominance in troubled times · Replacement romance · No getting back together after breaking up · Women's awakening "The first time we met, in that ruined temple, he said we would build a peaceful, prosperous age together." "Later, he ruled the whole realm, but forgot that I was the one who fi —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    New book, push it [please pay attention] [please pay attention] [please pay attention]

29. 429 穿 Reborn as a Green Tea Villainess, I Strike It Rich in the Capital with the Madam 穿成绿茶炮灰，我和主母京城暴富 Busy Old Liu from Jinzhou金州的老六忙Ancient Romance309k WordsOngoing [Hell from the start] Business tycoon Lin Yue wakes after a car accident, transmigrated into a historical romance novel as the doomed, scheming minor character Liu Ruyan. According to the original plot, she is supposed to offer poisoned tea to Shen Qingci, the general's household matriarch. Three months later, she will be disgraced and die miserably in a nunnery. Looking at the teacup trembling in her hand and the matriarch seated before her, her gaze cool and her emotions unreadable... Liu Ruya —Reads—Score—Shelves

Other lists with Defying Fate to Love: The Carp Spirit's Pampered Young Lady