Come Read This Palace-Intrigue Story! Both Leads Are Smart, and It's Not Clichéd 快来看这本男女主都智商在线不老套的宫斗文！

1. 401 医 The Imperial Physician: I'll Dump the Scumbag Prince and Become the Capital's Female Playboy 医妃：踹渣王我要做京城女纨绔 Bu Qianli6步千里6Ancient Romance592k WordsCompleted (Transmigration + strong heroine + feel-good revenge) The youngest daughter of the Marquis of Zhenxi, who had been raised away from home, has returned. She wreaks havoc wherever she goes, even with princes, leaving the whole capital complaining. Her medical skills are superb, and she lives life to the fullest! That scumbag prince can get lost. You took a second wife and still want to marry me? This young lady is the darling of every talented young man. Why bother learning to be virtuous and demu 7.9kReads9.1Score1.1kShelves
2. 402 先 First, Split the Family! Then Cut Ties! Feast on Meat and Fish Every Day 先分家！后断亲！每天大鱼大肉 A Breeze Gently Brushes the Willows清风拂杨柳徐徐Ancient Romance1.1M WordsOngoing (Alternate world + lighthearted + pocket dimension + farming + country girl + taking down scoundrels) For no apparent reason, Leng Qingyun opens her eyes and transmigrates! She finds herself in a remote mountain village in ancient times, in the body of an eight-year-old little brat. Her grandparents play favorites, and her uncle’s family schemes against hers. Her parents do all the fieldwork and housework. That would be bad enough, but her parents are also hopelessly obedient to their elders! Le 4.4kReads7.8Score251Shelves
3. 403 搞 A Side Consort? I'd Rather Send You Straight to the Afterlife 搞笑还侧妃？我送你归天还差不多 Han Jiuling寒九灵Ancient Romance375k WordsCompleted [Transmigration + palace intrigue + dimensional space + medicine and poison + sweet and satisfying romance + two equally powerful leads] Bai Luoluo was a medical PhD and the eldest daughter of a family of ancient martial artists. An accident in the lab blew her to smithereens. Overnight, she transmigrated into the daughter of a great general in the Xiling Kingdom. Her stepmother was vicious, and domestic intrigue was already a headache. She never expected she’d have to deal with palace intrigue 5kReads8.9Score562Shelves
4. 404 分 Split the Family, Live in a Shack! Break Ties with Toxic Kin and Strike It Rich! 分家住破屋！断亲极品发大财！ Watermelon-Flavored Sparkling Water西瓜味的气泡水Ancient Romance1.0M WordsOngoing The rating has just appeared. It’ll go up! [Space + ensemble cast + hunting + career-building + no male lead] Shen Banxia was a spy who had spent years undercover in an enemy nation. After sending intelligence back to her homeland, her identity was exposed. To keep her comrades from being exposed, she died by suicide. When she woke again, she had become a country girl who had been forced into marriage and died by hanging herself. The original Shen Banxia’s father had died saving his nephew from 24kReads8.5Score2.3kShelves
5. 405 被 After Being Tortured to Death by My Own Son, the Matriarch of the Marquis's Household Goes on a Rampage 被亲儿虐死后，侯门老祖宗杀疯了 A Li Li Li阿狸哩哩哩Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted The matriarch of the Anqing Marquis’s household, Li Xiaoya, has been reborn! After her fourth son, a wicked ingrate, beat her to death, she was reborn before her husband fell gravely ill. Only in this new life did she learn that her gentle and refined husband had been carrying on with his beloved Noble Consort, and had married her for the gold mine included in her dowry. Her scumbag husband is vicious and spineless, so she’ll send him to hell sooner rather than later. Her mother-in-law is a trou 511Reads6.9Score133Shelves
6. 406 偷 After Hearing My Thoughts, Everyone at Court Went on a Killing Spree 偷听我心声后，朝堂上下都杀疯了 Mu Qi穆七Ancient Romance252k WordsOngoing [Mind reading + adored by everyone + powerhouse + power fantasy + sweet romance] “Grandfather, die!” Those were the first words Qin Zi spoke after she was born. The next day, her grandfather really did die. “Wet nurse, die.” The next day, her wet nurse died too. From then on, Qin Zi was branded a jinx and sent away to an estate. Ten years later, Qin Zi returns, and her family suddenly discovers that they can hear her thoughts. [It’s just as well that my beast of a mother went mad. Otherwise, whe 22Reads—Score—Shelves
7. 407 反 A Counterkill from the Start: I Kick the Crown Prince Aside, Marry a Prince, and Become a Killer 反杀开局：踹太子我嫁皇子成杀神 Doesn't Eat Hairtail不吃刀鱼Ancient Romance341k WordsCompleted [Marriage first, love later + a husband pursued across a thousand miles + reborn for revenge + political intrigue] In her previous life, she was the female commander of the Southern Garrison, betrothed to the crown prince. But the engagement turned out to be a trap: the crown prince and the chancellor conspired with traitors from an enemy state to frame the Prince of the Southern Garrison’s household for treason. Her entire family was executed, and she was imprisoned and tortured until she died 2.2kReads6.9Score194Shelves
8. 408 爆 A Hilarious, Satisfying Story About a Wild Princess Who’s Too Crazy to Live by the Rules 爆笑爽文恶女王妃超级癫不疯不活 Until Daybreak行至天光Ancient Romance492k WordsCompleted The results just came out today, so the numbers will go up (a strong female lead, feel-good revenge, outrageously hilarious, shamelessly wicked, a completely unhinged heroine, a crazy hero, both leads are inexperienced, marriage before love, and a hero who becomes a lovesick puppy) Freshly transported into this world, Ye Lingyin finds herself caught in a carefully laid murder trap designed by her vile stepsister to ruin the original owner's reputation. She curls her lips into a smile. “You want 51.8kReads8.8Score5.8kShelves
9. 409 疯 The Mad True Heiress Opens Her Eyes, and the Entire Duke's Estate Falls to Its Knees in Tears 疯批真千金一抬眼，国公府全跪哭 Duanmu Yao端木摇Ancient Romance330k WordsCompleted [Female-led power fantasy + real and fake heiresses + face-slapping and crushing scum + sharp-tongued and unhinged + rebellious to the core + no romance] Ruan Susu is a famed woman general who defended her country and won countless battles... What nonsense! She’s a menace who steals every man’s heart, toys with every woman, and does every wicked thing under the sun! Her parents are the great generals commanding 150,000 troops on the northern frontier. Then one day, she learns that she was switch 4.9kReads8.2Score506Shelves
10. 410 沉 The Sinking Carp Startles the Cattails 沉鲤惊蒲 Seven Inkstones七砚书Mystery442k WordsOngoing He calculated that today was “a day to avoid people in red.” Chi Jingpu immediately pulled out his red undershirt. “You’ve been standing there in a red undershirt this whole time, and now you’re telling me to avoid people in red?” Scientific-minded constable × Feng Shui master × little princess lost in the human world Hilarious mystery romance, one-on-one pairing, both leads pure and devoted, incredibly sweet 342Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    👍👍👍🥰👍

11. 411 侯 My Lord, Your Dog Can't Come In! 侯爷，您的狗不能进！ Seven Inkstones七砚书Ancient Romance40k WordsCompleted My Lord, Your Dog Can't Come In! 224Reads—Score—Shelves
12. 412 王 The Prince Offered Himself to Her, and She Took Him Up on It 王爷以身相许，她要了 Seven Inkstones七砚书57k WordsCompleted The Prince Offered Himself to Her, and She Accepted 228Reads—Score—Shelves
13. 413 灯 The Lamp Shines Where Worries Fade 灯照忘忧处 Seven Inkstones七砚书Ancient Romance155k WordsCompleted : Ling Xi is the lowest-ranking Spirit Guide in the Immortal Realm. Her duty is to light Spirit Guiding Lamps and lead the souls of those who died unjustly in the mortal world into reincarnation. But she has a secret: her lamp can guide not only ordinary souls, but also souls burdened by unresolved obsessions. And every time she helps a soul let go of its obsession, she forgets a memory connected to it. One day, she encounters the soul of a young man tightly entwi 34Reads—Score—Shelves
14. 414 下 I Came Down from Heaven and Gave the Wrong Medicine, and the Matchmaker God Exploded 下凡喂错药，月老炸了 Seven Inkstones七砚书Marriage & Romance7k WordsCompleted I went down to the mortal world and gave someone the wrong medicine. The Matchmaker God is furious! 96Reads—Score—Shelves
15. 415 亡 After the Fall of Her Kingdom, the Crown Princess Can No Longer Hide Her Secret Identity 亡国后，太子她马甲藏不住了 A Book Born from a Whale Fall鲸落成书Ancient Romance647k WordsCompleted After the Kingdom of Liang fell, people lamented that its famous young crown prince would suffer a miserable fate. Instead, they discovered that Ruan Feng was thriving in the Kingdom of Sheng! Everyone: “Don’t you have even a shred of awareness that you’re a crown prince of a fallen kingdom!?” Ruan Feng smiled faintly. “No.” … Lu Xuan was ambitious. At first, he went to every length to recruit this young genius into his service. Somewhere along the way, he ended up becoming her devoted admi 2kReads9.1Score272Shelves

    Reader note

    I'm currently reading the first one; I've read the rest and they're all very good, worth a try.

16. 416 癫EN What the Heck! Everyone Around Me Is Completely Nuts! 癫！孤身边全是神经病！ Wen Yuan Party文元党Ancient Romance764k WordsCompleted Born a crown prince, Qi Yuanzuo was convinced that he was the only normal person in the imperial family. Little did he know what the Crown Prince looked like to outsiders: At seven, he shot a tiger and won nine hundred kilometers of territory in the Qilian Mountains. At thirteen, he cut through the great clans of Jiangnan and personally orchestrated the Case of the Ninety-Seven Mourning Robes, stepping over piles of corpses to claim the throne. At fifteen, he gambled on the Qilian Mountains once 54.4kReads9.5Score7kShelves
17. 417 救 Redemption? No! The Unhinged Heroine Only Wants Credit for Helping the Dragon Throne 救赎？不！疯批女主只要从龙功 Yu Jiudeng虞九灯Ancient Romance707k WordsCompleted Features a narrated audiobook version. [Female Disguise + Career-Focused Heroine + Reborn Romance-Focused Male Lead + Ancient-to-Ancient] The Calamity Emperor tells the story of a young man whose legs are broken, taking him from limitless glory to a life of abuse at everyone’s hands. Through endless hardship, he murders his father and younger brother and unifies a land torn apart by chaos in a tale of revenge. The story was nothing new, but Wen Muci loved it. She loved the proud, bright, gentle 7.3kReads9.3Score999Shelves
18. 418 万 The Most Hated? She Bewitches the World with Shamelessness, Not Prophecies 万人嫌？她惑世不靠预言靠缺德 A Cat in the North北徊有喵Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted [Gender-bender + woman disguised as a man + irresistible charm + equally matched leads + multiple male leads, all chaste + everyone forced to join the rebellion] In the Land of Divine Remnants, there are three things you must never do: Never speak carelessly about the Lord of Yaoguang City. Never slander the men at her feet. Never say a bad word about her workhorses, or you’ll die a horrible death. Why? Ask the powerful minister Sikou, who lowers his eyes and smiles without a word. Ask the King 405Reads8.5Score103Shelves
19. 419 千 For Whom Does the Beauty of the Ages Bloom? 千古红颜为谁红 Master Bukong不空师傅Historical2.3M WordsOngoing [Multiple themed dungeons] + [Ensemble cast] + [Loyalty and vendettas] + [Romance and affection] + [Anchors in official history] + [Wild-history twists] + [Satisfying hooks] + [Emotional core] + [Mysticism and religion] Following the shifting fortunes of nearly a hundred celebrated women from ancient times, including renowned courtesans, beauties, formidable women, and empresses, this story challenges the stereotype that beautiful women bring ruin. Against the grand sweep of official history, it 177Reads8.6Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Several excellent books with different styles, highly recommended.

20. 420 昆 Kunlun Mirror: Enchanted by Chang’an 昆仑镜：情醉长安 Master Bukong不空师傅Martial Arts712k WordsCompleted In Kunlun Mirror: Love Drunk in Chang'an, author Bu Kong Shifu uses official history as its main thread and unofficial history as a secondary one. With devotion to family and country, mysticism, and martial arts at its heart, the story lets its imagination run wild, bringing its characters to life with vivid, well-rounded souls as it recounts a sweeping, stirring tale of history. Lin Yan, a traveler from a thousand years in the future, transmigrates to the Tang Dynasty with the Kunlun Mirror, ar 6Reads—Score—Shelves
21. 421 命 Bound by a Copper Bell 命系铜钱铃铛 Master Bukong不空师傅Mystery232k WordsCompleted The novel Life's Tether: The Copper Coin Bell, by Master Bukong, transforms little incidents involving the author's coworkers into the story of A Bing, a poor young man who fights his way to success. Using the principles of Bazi astrology as an underlying thread and real-life events as evidence, it illustrates the simple truth that “our birth charts sketch the course of our lives, but our efforts determine our standing in life.” The novel unfolds in a straightforward way and uses clear, accessib 8Reads—Score—Shelves
22. 422 我 I Would Let My Name Be Reviled for Zheng'er 我愿为政儿遗臭万年 Master Bukong不空师傅Ancient Romance23k WordsCompleted I am willing to be reviled for all eternity for Zheng'er. 9Reads—Score—Shelves
23. 423 账 Ghostly Shadows Beneath the Ledger 账页下的诡影 Master Bukong不空师傅Urban706k WordsCompleted Using the “inside and outside books” of a real estate company as its point of departure, the novel traces 23 years of the industry’s unchecked expansion and subsequent transition to regulation. It exposes rampant tax evasion, collusion between officials and businesses, and data falsification, while portraying individuals caught between profit and conscience. The plot weaves together national laws and regulations, public order and morality, family ties, romance, and the complications and power st 3Reads—Score—Shelves
24. 424 远 The Empire's Distant Misty Rain 远去的那场帝国烟雨 Master Bukong不空师傅Marriage & Romance21k WordsCompleted The Empire's Vanished Misty Years —Reads—Score—Shelves
25. 425 清 A Qing Dynasty Transmigration: A Concubine Blessed with Many Children 清穿之福妾多子 Jing Fulai景福来Ancient Romance2.0M WordsCompleted [Fourth Prince's household + enjoying the good life without hardship + a System that only provides support, with the heroine in control + slice of life, eventually becoming Empress Dowager] Workplace warrior Song Man transmigrates to the Qing dynasty with a half-broken little System and becomes a concubine in the Fourth Prince’s household, having just lost her daughter. From the start, the servants bully their mistress, and she nearly can’t get a meal. The Fourth Prince has all but forgotten her 25.5kReads9.2Score3kShelves

    Reader note

    These few are okay.

26. 426 蔻 The Vermilion Gate 蔻朱门 The Long Night Hides Forever长夜永隐Ancient Romance630k WordsCompleted Synopsis: As the saying goes, the palace gates are deep as the sea, and life, death, fortune, and misfortune are all in Heaven's hands. Today, she is an ordinary sparrow of a girl. Next year, a phoenix crown will rest upon her brow. Shen Zhaozhao was merely a daughter of the third branch of the Anle Marquis's household. Aside from her striking looks, she had no reputation for talent, virtue, or an engaging personality. She was only sent to the palace selection as a filler, there to serve as 20.7kReads8.8Score2.7kShelves
27. 427 野 Song of the Wild Grass 野草歌 Yue Cunhui岳存晖Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [If you have a lot of deal-breakers, please read the Q&A for readers in Volume Two first] [The heroine’s assumed name is Feng Yulan, and her real name is Yang Qingcui. If you think the name is ugly, not sweet or delicate, or not suitably classical, please click away now] “Mom,” “Dad,” “Grandma,” “Grandpa,” and “wife” were all terms used in ancient times. They weren’t all changed across the country on the day the People’s Republic was founded. The grass grows lush on the plain; each year it withe 787Reads8.7Score129Shelves
28. 428 宫 A Palace Maid's Survival Guide 宫女生存手册 Golden Thread Fairy Grass金丝仙草Ancient Romance393k WordsOngoing [Fictional Dynasty Mashup + Mild Palace Intrigue + Mostly Ensemble Cast + Everyday Life + Easygoing Female Lead] This is the story of Chun Qiao's daily struggle to survive, from palace maid to imperial consort, during the Xitai era. - Chun Qiao was an utterly ordinary palace maid who did her job dutifully and only wanted to stay alive. But she served three masters in a row, and none of them lasted long. Her first mistress had seniority but no favor, and was sickly all the time. Chun Qiao cared f 56Reads8.2Score116Shelves
29. 429 妖 The Demonically Handsome Prince's Special Favor 妖孽王爷的偏宠 Xi Xixi兮溪兮Ancient Romance303k WordsCompleted Everyone says Shen Qingci, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, was born under an ill-starred fate, bringing misfortune to her family. Abandoned in a remote mountain convent at birth, she was left to fend for herself. Two years ago, drugged and feverish on a rainy night in the convent, she spent one night with a stranger. His whispered words, “I want to go inside,” became a secret etched into her very bones. When she returned to the capital, she was chosen as the Fifth Prince’s bride, —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Both are strong, focused on their careers, and the show is super good.

30. 430 双 Double-Sided Delight 双面欢 Chang Shu昶疏Ancient Romance330k WordsCompleted - The heroine appears to be a sickly illegitimate daughter of a marquis's household, but is actually the young leader of Tingfeng Pavilion, the capital's largest intelligence network. - The hero is the powerful Grand Secretary who holds sway over the imperial court, but is actually her "old client," having bought intelligence from her for three years. - On their wedding night, both drop their pretenses and agree to work together: he will help her investigate the injustice done to her mother, and —Reads—Score—Shelves
31. 431 弃 The Abandoned Wife Doesn't Cry or Make a Scene. She Turns Around and Renovates the General's Ancestral Hall 弃妇不哭不闹，反手修整将门祠堂 Nan Xing Writes Stories南星写故事Ancient Romance174k WordsOngoing Jiang Buyan, an expert in the restoration of ancient architecture, wakes to find herself the discarded wife of a military family. Her husband has seized her dowry residence, her mother-in-law has swallowed up her dowry lands, and the whole family is waiting for her to die in bitterness so they can clear the way once and for all. But she knows how to read wood. Nanmu timber has been replaced with ash, the ancestral hall's beams and pillars don't match the Wanli-era specifications, and beneath the —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Three parallel storylines of female growth: Jiang Buyan's mastery of technology, Qingzhuan's self-awakening, and Su Youling's inheritance of craftsmanship. Three generations of women, three paths, one spirit—whoever cultivates it is its master. #BookRecommendation #Women'sPortraits #IntergenerationalPassing

32. 432 重 Reborn, the Sickly Illegitimate Daughter Stops Pretending 重生后，病秧子庶女她不装了 Porridge Yan Yan Yan粥言言言Ancient Romance287k WordsOngoing The people closest to her deceived her all her life. She poisoned her aunt, ruined the crown prince, and caused her children to die. In the end, her elder legitimate sister sent her to her death with a cup of poisoned wine! Only as she lay dying did she learn that the crown prince had loved her with all his heart, while she had hated him to the core! Reborn one year before her marriage to the crown prince, Jiang Xueci hides her sharp edge, feigns frailty, and secretly lays her plans! She clears —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This book features two intelligent main characters, making it a super enjoyable read.

33. 433 手 Are They Both My Flesh and Blood? 手心手背都是肉？ Half a Foot of Frost半尺霜Modern Romance208k WordsOngoing In Shitou Village, a remote mountain village, Old Li and his wife, Wang Meihua, raised two sons and a daughter. The old couple favored boys over girls and doted on their eldest son, Li Jianjun. They often treated their eldest daughter, Li Xiaojuan, who was already married, like free labor. Their eldest son, Li Jianjun, was lazy and loved to indulge himself, yet they treasured him like the apple of their eye. Their younger son, Li Jianmin, worked hard and dutifully cared for his parents, but they 1Reads—Score—Shelves
34. 434 千 A Thousand-Year Love Dream That Never Fades 千年恋梦情长在 Spirit Cat Inkshadow Meow Meow灵猫墨影喵喵Ancient Romance479k WordsOngoing After being betrayed by her cheating boyfriend and jumping into a river, Lin Wan'er transmigrates into the abandoned consort of a deep palace in the kingdom of Shu. She vows never to bow her head to a man again. Using her modern mind, she survives the imperial harem, but on the eve of Crown Prince Xie Jingyu’s enthronement, she digs a tunnel and makes her escape! She opens a countryside restaurant at Tiger Head Stronghold, then heads to the capital and opens a restaurant called “Jingyu House,” u —Reads6.9Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I recommend a similar fast-paced novel called "A Thousand-Year Love Story," where the female protagonist transmigrates into the body of an abandoned concubine, runs away, opens a restaurant, and uses the crown prince's name as the signboard. It's high-energy throughout!

Other lists with The Imperial Physician: I'll Dump the Scumbag Prince and Become the Capital's Female Playboy