Courting the Powerful

Why Does the Princess's Consort Have to Be Like This? (woman disguises herself as a man, satisfying and sweet, updating) Please add it to your reading list!

[Main story blurb below]

(The main story is complete, with bonus chapters still coming)

Disguised as a man to pursue her studies, Lin Jingru was the poorest and most outstanding student at Lushan Academy.

In a world where women could barely take a step forward, she endured and persevered, wanting nothing more than to break free of her chains and glimpse a world of freedom.

Until the powerful young heir Luo Yingshu smashed everything she had with a red-tasseled spear.

From then on, her quiet life gained a new goal: bring that spoiled brat down from his pedestal.

Luo Yingshu had always had everything go his way. No one had ever dared defy him like this, and no one had ever made him stumble so many times.

He swore he would make her give in, lock her away in a private prison, and crush that detestable pride.

"Beg me, and I'll spare your life."

But in the darkness, she raised her clear eyes and gazed at him without a word:

"It's too soon to say who'll have the last laugh."

[Little Scene]

At first, Luo Yingshu sneered, "You dared to toy with me? I'll have you killed."

Later, he drew close to her, his voice hoarse. "You want to play with me? Then tell me, do you want me... dead?"

At first, Lin Jingru said, "Survive."

Later, Lin Jingru said, "Bring Luo Yingshu down!"

He chuckled at that, his breath tantalizing. "How do I bring him down? Where?"

[Reading Guide]

1. A woman disguises herself as a man. One-on-one romance, happy ending, both leads are virgins. The setting is fictional, so please don't nitpick the history.

2. Clear-headed, rational heroine vs. an unruly young heir. A clash of equals, with love and hate tangled together.

3. The heroine is intelligent and capable. She depends on no one and submits to no one, using her wits to turn the tables.

4. The romance begins with hostility and grows through mutual understanding. Their feelings emerge through intense push and pull.

[Blurb for the next book]

A series entry in the same genre: Marrying the Princess (woman disguises herself as a man)

Also known as: Stealing the Princess's Lover. Screenshot archived 2026.2.26

Su Mingke's life was meant to be a straight road to the top.

The eldest legitimate daughter of the Qinghe Su clan, she was raised as a boy from childhood. Her father was a corrupt official with power over the entire court, who helped her cheat her way into the imperial exams and paved her road to success.

She only had to do one thing: place first in the exams, enter the Hanlin Academy, become chancellor, and bring glory to her family.

She walked that road steadily and became the youngest chancellor in history. Then an imperial decree came out of nowhere.

The new chancellor was to marry the princess.

Su Mingke: ...?

Fine. If she had to marry the princess, so be it. She could still be a powerful official on a different career track.

But she never expected the princess to have a beloved from afar: the young general Xie Zhen, newly returned from victory.

Even more surprising, this beloved was an old acquaintance of hers.

The sickly boy she'd beaten until he bawled, who could never climb trees as well as she could and always lost to her at fighting crickets and bird catching.

It had been years since they'd seen each other, and he'd certainly made something of himself.

In full armor, he rode into the capital, winning the secret admiration of every girl in the city.

Unfortunately, the moment he opened his mouth, he was still the same clueless idiot from back then.

The person Xie Zhen hated most in the world was Su Mingke.

When he was a child, he was sent to the Su clan to study. He thought he would finally have some peace and quiet, but then he met her.

He couldn't outsmart her, couldn't beat her in a fight, and even when he cried, she mocked him. Furious, he went home and demanded to learn martial arts, swearing that one day he would get the better of her.

Years later, he returned victorious and full of confidence, thinking he could finally hold his head high.

Then he entered the capital and heard that Su Mingke had married the princess.

Xie Zhen: ???

He hadn't married anyone yet. How had she managed to marry first?!

No way. He couldn't swallow this.

If he couldn't beat her, then he would ruin her marriage.

He would see who won this time.

Su Mingke watched Xie Zhen turn up at the princess's residence every few days and fell into thought.

Every time he came, he wore a stern expression, like he was there to cause trouble, but his eyes kept drifting toward her. He brought cartload after cartload of gifts for the princess, yet whenever he saw Su Mingke, he spoke with barbed sarcasm, acting fierce and aggrieved.

She couldn't help asking, "General Xie, are you trying to ruin my marriage, or are you trying to give yourself to me?"

Xie Zhen's face turned bright red.

[Reading Guide]

1. A duplicitous female chancellor and corrupt official (woman disguised as a man) vs. a spirited, clever young general (with a huge gap between his image and his true self). A pair of rivals who love and hate each other, evenly matched and constantly bickering.

2. The princess knows the heroine's true gender and has her own destined match. She has no involvement with the male lead; the beloved from afar is a misunderstanding.

3. One-on-one romance, happy ending, both leads are virgins. The history is fictional, so please don't nitpick.

4. The plot and romance develop side by side, and the heroine is devoted to her career.

See my profile for other upcoming books (the dig-a-hole-and-plant-a-tree series).

Theme: Women should be self-reliant and live brilliant lives.