Female Leads Ascending the Throne 女主登基文（女帝文）

1. 1 买 Buying Life 买活 Yu Jing Peng Xiang御井烹香Romance6.6M WordsCompleted Food is paramount to the people, and Heaven is indifferent, treating all things like straw dogs. Yet there are always those with hearts devoted to the people, working day and night and overcoming every obstacle to secure their livelihood. *1+ Basic setup, updated every day at noon 2+ Infrastructure development + food + ensemble cast Theme: Strive tirelessly and reach for the heights. Human determination can overcome fate. 206.4kFavorites246.1kClicks/ch2.6MGifts

   Curator note

   The female lead doesn't become an empress, but a military leader. It's a good read, I like it. The author has a people-oriented historical perspective; the part where Sister Ge becomes an official is like a party group meeting, and the writing is quite sharp. The abstract parts always give me insight.

2. 2 二 Half a Spoiler 二分之一剧透 Tianze Shiruò天泽时若Romance657k WordsCompleted As a game addict who transmigrated into a game, Wen Yanran has a unique advantage that countless other transmigrators lack. First, she starts at the top: she’s the emperor from the start. Second, she comes with a game-assistance System, a standard feature for any protagonist. * Just as Wen Yanran was fretting over her ability to manage a large team, the World Will that had helped her transmigrate offered a friendly reminder: to prevent the current world from restarting over and over, the transmi 164.9kFavorites283kClicks/ch317.8kGifts

   Curator note

   I haven't finished reading it yet; the political intrigue is a bit difficult to grasp, and the author didn't provide any paragraph comments (I need an external brain!). I'll come back and rate it again after I finish reading.

3. 3 穿 I Transmigrated as Emperor Huizong's Princess 穿越成宋徽宗公主 Vastness of the Underworld蒿里茫茫Romance3.0M WordsCompleted Zhao Luming thought the perfect heroine’s story would go like this: She’d be reborn as a princess, adored by the emperor and cherished by her brothers, clever, charming, and beautiful, with a host of handsome young men from the greatest aristocratic families in love with her. Then she’d embark on a thrilling, eventful life. The story Zhao Luming actually got was: Everything above was true, except the emperor was Emperor Huizong of Song, her brothers were Emperor Qinzong and Wanyan Gou, and the 115.4kFavorites112kClicks/ch1.1MGifts

   Curator note

   I haven't finished watching it yet. [Heart] The advantage of this book is that the female protagonist doesn't have the smooth sailing of those who become emperors through strategist-led conquests or become second-generation emperors, as if she were born with the ability to wage war and govern the world. The protagonist struggles a lot during her growth, abandoning some of her conscience and compassion, learning from many others, and personally leading her own army through trials and tribulations. Furthermore, the author's writing style is decent, with many metaphors and symbols, but correspondingly, it doesn't feel as satisfying as the aforementioned stories. [Lemon] The downside is that it's a bit frustrating to read. In the early stages, the female lead has very little power; others treat her like a decorative object or a mascot. They thank the emperor (Emperor Huizong) for his wisdom whenever she does something, and some pedantic scholars will nag about traditional etiquette and criticize her actions. The constraints and oppression placed on women in this era might affect the reading experience (perhaps it's not a feel-good story).

4. 4 带 Building the Tang Dynasty with Players 带着玩家在大唐搞基建的日子 Yi Qingruo衣青箬No CP1.8M WordsCompleted (Coming soon: Wasteland Shelter Upgrade Log. In the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era under Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the An Lushan Rebellion broke out. By imperial decree, the Anxi Protectorate General's Office, at the far western edge of the Tang Empire, established the Anxi Field Headquarters and marched into the Central Plains to suppress the rebellion. Who could have expected that Tibet would seize the opportunity to invade, occupy Longyou and Hexi, and cu 41.8kFavorites51.7kClicks/ch84.1kGifts

   Curator note

   With the added bonus of Tang Dynasty nostalgia, the parts about the white-haired soldiers in the beginning were truly tear-jerking, and after a few chapters, people in the comments section were already asking for Li Longji to be a good match, haha. The only two shortcomings are: firstly, the proportion of female players in the early stages is a bit low, such as in Fifth Generation and the rich and handsome guy, as well as some male players dressed as women. These important characters in the early stages are all male players (Fifth Generation really had many highlights); secondly, the female protagonist's initiative is slightly weaker in the later stages, and it feels like she is being led to power by the players. I had previously thought about what would happen to the Tang Dynasty's productivity if the players disappeared or left, but the ending says that people are still playing this game, so it's okay.

5. 5 嘉 After Jiajing Got Someone Pregnant in a Dream 嘉靖感而有孕之后 Meng Sh Shui孟水水Romance616k WordsOngoing VIP release date: September 9 A dream of the sun entering one’s arms foretells the birth of a noble son. One night, Jiajing dreamed that a ball of fire fell from the sky and landed in his arms. When he awoke, he found himself repeatedly retching and vomiting. The imperial physicians were summoned at once to take his pulse. They all dropped to their knees in terror. “Your Majesty, this pulse… it seems… it seems to be a pregnancy pulse.” After decades of painstaking Daoist cultivation, the Daoist 29.8kFavorites44.7kClicks/ch42.2kGifts

   Curator note

   I initially didn't follow it because the first two chapters after it went VIP were quite weak. But then, it suddenly became a bombshell [laughing and crying emoji]. It felt like it was whitewashing Emperor Jiajing, and the addition of the female lead's camera made it seem like the old emperor was a wise ruler. Plus, the female lead, while seemingly indifferent and belittling imperial power, was simultaneously enjoying the people's wealth. For a detailed warning, check out Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).

6. 6 始 [Qin] Are the First Emperor and His Daughter Drawing Cards Today? [秦]始皇父女今天抽卡了吗 Gu Simu顾四木Romance133k WordsOngoing Due to health reasons, I can’t keep updating. The novel is waiting to be unlocked after completion. Please don’t buy it. Thank you! Jiang Le accidentally transmigrated to the Qin dynasty and became the First Emperor’s youngest daughter, one of the unlucky children destined to be killed by Qin Er Shi Hu Hai. Before she could get back on her feet and fight for survival, she realized that something was off about this Qin dynasty. In this Qin dynasty, the First Emperor had an eldest daughter. At 24.2kFavorites25.9kClicks/ch48.2kGifts

   Curator note

   It's not the female lead who ascends the throne, but her older sister, who is also a time traveler. The female lead has a very cute personality, which complements her sister's pragmatic and cold-blooded style. The author is currently undergoing eye surgery, and it depends on the situation whether updates will be suspended or not (unfortunately).

7. 7 据 [Three Kingdoms] According to Unofficial Histories... [三国]据野史记载…… Yingyao荧垚Romance1.6M WordsOngoing [Important] An alternate timeline. The heroine takes the path of a marquis and powerful minister, assisting an empress. She doesn’t become emperor because I want to write a heroine strategist. If you like stories about empresses, there’s one in my upcoming works. Please stop criticizing me ^_^ [Blurb] (Character art for Yuan Heng and her two companions buried with her is ready.) Yuan Heng transmigrates. The good news: She’s born into a distinguished aristocratic clan, a family of generations of 13.7kFavorites16.8kClicks/ch27.8kGifts

   Curator note

   The story doesn't feature a female protagonist ascending to the throne; instead, it's another woman, also a time traveler, who becomes the ruler, and the majority of the founding team is women. The female protagonist has a fierce personality, willing to persecute everyone equally, yet also fiercely protective of her own. Her romantic partner is Xun Yu, whom I initially didn't like, but seeing how much he dotes on the female protagonist, I decided to go along with it. The power struggle hasn't even begun yet.

8. 8 我 I Took the Throne Before the Spoilers 我比剧透先登基 River Wind a Thousand Miles Away千里江风No CP677k WordsCompleted [You can read this as alternate history. Although the sky screen offers spoilers, there’s plenty of action in the real world; at heart, this is still a tale of seizing power and vying for supremacy in a time of chaos! Updates daily at noon, with at least six thousand words a day.] Wang Shenai transmigrates. She finds herself in an extraordinarily noble position. Her father is a dashing member of the Langya Wang clan, her mother is a princess, and she herself has already become Crown Princess. Un 59.2kFavorites66.5kClicks/ch107.5kGifts

   Curator note

   I haven't finished reading it yet; I'll change my review after I do. But I generally trust this author's books.

9. 9 谋 [Three Kingdoms] Can Strategists Not Ascend the Throne? [三国]谋士不可以登基吗？ River Wind a Thousand Miles Away千里江风No CP2.9M WordsCompleted [Three Kingdoms power struggle. The heroine isn't a strategist, she's a ruler.] [Complete. Anti-piracy measures cover 50% of the text. The full story is being polished and proofread. I take no responsibility for pirated versions.] The seventh year of Guanghe. The Yellow Turban Rebellion. Qiao Yan is bound to Strategist System No. 068 and awakens in the body of a dying little girl amid the starving dead. The System tells her that her goal is to become the greatest strategist under heaven. Sitting 189.2kFavorites328.2kClicks/ch829.9kGifts

   Curator note

   I love JoJo, I've reread it many times. The author has a very solid historical background.

10. 10 我 I Became Qin Shi Huang's Second Qin Emperor 我给始皇当秦二世 Gold and Jade Fill the Courtyard金玉满庭No CP1.1M WordsCompleted A biological father-daughter relationship with the First Emperor Zhao Buxi, a remnant of the Six Kingdoms living in the Qin dynasty and the daughter of a beauty from the fallen state of Zhao, looks at her golden finger, then at the talented man she has just recruited. She falls into deep thought. You need talent to make use of a golden finger. Xiang Yu could do it, Liu Bang could do it, so why couldn’t she, Zhao Buxi? “Great talent, the Qin dynasty is tyrannical and the people are suffering. 184.4kFavorites320.7kClicks/ch676.4kGifts

    Curator note

    The character's speech has a classical Chinese translation feel to it, haha.

11. 11 大 [Tang Dynasty] Chang'an of the Great Tang [唐]大唐长安 Gold and Jade Fill the Courtyard金玉满庭Romance1.1M WordsCompleted When Li Chang’an opened her eyes again, she was in the Tang Dynasty. The good news: It was the Kaiyuan era, the golden age of the Tang, and she was a daughter of Emperor Xuanzong. The bad news: The An Lushan Rebellion was just around the corner, and her father disliked her so much he wouldn’t even give her a princess’s title and made her become a Taoist nun. Princess Shou’an was born to Cao Yena Ji. She was born in the ninth month of pregnancy. The emperor hated her and ordered her to be dress 175.8kFavorites238.2kClicks/ch656.8kGifts

    Curator note

    Also known as, Leading the Mentors to Conquer the World

12. 12 定 [Wu Zhou] Founding the Dynasty [武周]定鼎 River Wind a Thousand Miles Away千里江风Romance2.1M WordsCompleted [Current arc: Wu Zhou] Wu Qingyue never imagined that one moment she’d be grabbing her keyboard to argue with someone that the claim Empress Zhaoyi had murdered her daughter was complete nonsense, and the next she’d be reborn as Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of Tang’s third daughter. In other words... the daughter of Wu Zetian who died before her first birthday. [Good news: You come with a System.] [Bad news: The System has just one function: convert 153.4kFavorites216.6kClicks/ch503kGifts

    Curator note

    My mother's ascension to the throne counts as an ascension (fingers), but I haven't watched much since Empress Wu's coronation.

13. 13 征 Conquering the Universe Starts in an Eggshell 征服宇宙从蛋壳开始 Wei Wo Wu Jiu薇我无酒Romance641k WordsCompleted Ling Rulu transmigrated into an otome game she'd played before. When she woke inside an eggshell, she heard a deafening chorus of celebration. Countless voices wept with joy at her birth. In this life, she had a special identity: the sole queen of the insect race. System: [Our mission is completely risk-free. You don't have to do anything, and the entire insect race will cherish you. Isn't that a great deal?] In the main story, as a delicate and precious queen, all she had to do was live in 81.4kFavorites101kClicks/ch118.4kGifts

    Curator note

    It was great, I liked the matriarchal setting, but the female lead's growth felt a bit too smooth, a little flat.

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