Novels like The Phoenix of Wu
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Phoenix of Wu, best match first.
- 51 An Order in Late Spring 暮春之令 After the princess sent away for a political marriage passes away, Wang Huiyan, a palace historian, returns to her hometown after eight years away. Once a well-born young lady, she now faces a family fallen on hard times, creditors at the door, and the prospect of remaining unmarried well into adulthood. Determined to make something of herself and escape her predicament, Huiyan ventures into business. Her heart stirs at the sight of the excellent bachelor who was once her childhood friend, and 3.5kReads9.1Score464Shelves
- 52 Only Idle Mortals Dream of You 唯梦闲人不梦君 Before the divorce. “Prince Consort, this osmanthus cake…” “Leave it aside.” “The princess sent it…” “Throw it away!” “Prince Consort, today is your birthday. The princess sent you this gold-threaded robe.” “Burn it.” “Prince Consort, the princess wishes to see you…” “Get out!” After the divorce. “Your Majesty, these almond pastries…” “How could I, the mighty ruler of an entire nation, eat something like this!” “Miss Mo sent them on her way…” “How could I, the mighty ruler of an entire nation, b 918Reads6.9Score104Shelves
- 53 Farewell to the Phoenix Throne on a Peony Couch 牡丹榻上辞凤阙 Shen Wanning had lived in the secluded depths of the Shen residence for as long as she could remember, growing up alongside her half-brother, Shen Huaijin, the chief grand secretary. He always treated her with the distance and severity of an elder brother, convinced she was the daughter of his father's mistress, hidden away in the household, a stain on the family's honor. It was only when the decree accusing the loyal of treason arrived that the truth behind the massacre of her military family w 28Reads—Score—Shelves
- 54 Snowgrass 雪草 Without a beginning, there can be no ending. Heaven's kindness to Su Mo was, in its own way, cruelty to Xuecao. —Reads8.6Score—Shelves
- 55 The West Wind Is Cruel 西风恶 She swallows her grievances and compromises against her will, her heart full of resentment. She longs for what she cannot have, powerless as fate keeps her apart from the one she loves. Though this is a love story, the plot is dull and uneventful, with little flavor. Look closely, and you'll find more bitterness than sweetness. A realistic tragic romance: not sweet, not satisfying, and not cathartic. Many different lives, and many different kinds of misery. A pure historical romance, with both l 827Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 56 Through the Ages, I Am the Phoenix 千秋我为凰 Shen Xian transmigrates into the body of a fool, gets driven out of her home, has her face disfigured, and is even carrying a baby! On the day her husband marries his new love, she shows up to offer her congratulations, then repeatedly face-slaps the new concubine and leaves the guests stunned. But the new concubine keeps trying to out-act her. “You weakling, you think you’re good enough to steal the spotlight?” 2.9kReads9.0Score467Shelves
- 57 The Marquess's Wife Was Widowed for Three Years, Then Got Pregnant and Went on a Rampage 侯门主母守寡三年，一朝有喜杀疯了 [Heroine runs away while pregnant + coercive romance + forbidden relationship + obsessive hero] A widow's life is hard, and life as a widow in a marquis's household is even harder. Shen Xiling's husband died young. She manages every affair in the marquis's estate, yet gets no appreciation for it. She thought she'd spend the rest of her life wasting away like this. But then her brother-in-law, who was believed to have died in battle, returns and inherits everything in the marquis's household. 120Reads6.6Score—Shelves
- 58 Schemes in the Ming Palace: A World Without Beauty 明宫谋：无颜天下 In the unforgiving world of imperial power, Wang Rongyu has no choice but to enter the palace. She keeps her head down, hoping only to leave, not to rise through the ranks. But she has two mothers-in-law to contend with, the emperor’s favored concubine ahead of her, and a palace full of women selected and enfeoffed six months ago, yet still no children have been born. Knowing that emperors are heartless, Wang Rongyu has already made up her mind to simply do her job as empress. She won’t compete 2.9kReads9.0Score314Shelves
- 59 The World’s First Bride 天下第一嫁 She was the greatest female scholar in the Celestial Dynasty and the first female official in the imperial court: Bai Suxuan. A merciless fire and the accusation that she had burned herself to death to evade punishment brought her back from hell. Three years later, she became Qin Jiu, the infamous demoness of the Tianchen Sect. She practices forbidden, heaven-defying arts, trains young men, seduces her imperial uncle, toys with powerful officials, brings down favored concubines, and bullies nobl 595Reads9.4Score107Shelves
- 60 Madam Jinning 瑾宁夫人 Meng Jinning wasn't exactly the laid-back type, but she understood the principle of not bothering others unless they bothered her first. She also knew that being a stepmother was no easy task. She figured the children's maternal relatives and their own father could take care of them, and the most she could do was turn a blind eye. She never expected that, even though she had no intention of meddling, someone else would insist on dragging her into their business. 301Reads7.7Score105Shelves
- 61 Spring in the Jade Palace 玉殿春 [Resilient, Gentle Noblewoman x Cunning, Patient Scholar] [Female Growth + Forbidden Love + Tormented Romance + Palace Intrigue and Political Scheming + Redemption] Yan Qing was a noblewoman from a distinguished family. One day, on a whim, she saved Jiang Weiren, a poor scholar. Though they came from utterly different worlds, the two began to cross paths. The gentle young woman and the brooding young man fell for each other in secret. But then the Yan family fell from power. To protect her famil 3.2kReads9.2Score286Shelves
- 62 Late Nights in the Deep Estate 深宅晚 Her husband, Song Hemian, died young, leaving Jiang Wanyin alone in a desolate mansion, surrounded by endless gossip. Her late husband's younger brother, Song Heran, returns from afar. He is refined and handsome, yet reserved and inscrutable, treating her with a tenderness that constantly oversteps the bounds of propriety. As they spend their days together, Jiang Wanyin gradually realizes that this “younger brother-in-law” is nothing like the Song Heran her husband described, in either his habit 2.1kReads7.3Score201Shelves
- 63 Liu Jingyue 柳惊月 [Ending] At first, he thought he had merely fallen in love with an assassin, and waited for the day they would meet again. Little did he know that the girl he was waiting for had already been sent by his own hand to marry for peace. He had taught her the difference between good and evil, and shown her compassion. Looking back, he could only think how hypocritical he had been. “I was a fool to think I could save you.” Now she had become a princess revered by all, while he was left consumed with r 87Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 64 A Commoner's Warmth Beneath the Heavens 布衣暖天下 [In the war-torn years at the end of the Song and the beginning of the Yuan, discover how a former child bride used nimble hands as blades and cotton as her cutting edge to weave an immortal legend as the “Cotton Goddess,” who “clothed the world”!] At twelve, her family sold her for half a sack of millet. Her husband's family treated her like livestock, and when they tried to sell her again, she escaped. She hid in a Taoist temple and nearly got caught, then drifted to Yazhou, where she narrowly 19Reads—Score—Shelves
- 65 The Realm Is Yours, I Return to My Homeland 江山归你，我归故国 Synopsis: [Love at first sight + love unrequited + possessive forced marriage + tragic beauty + devoted to one another, both leads are sexually inexperienced] She is a beloved and honored princess, and he is a mighty general with countless victories to his name. She thought their lives would never cross, but after one breathtaking glimpse, he falls for her at first sight and uses his military power to force her to marry him. As a princess of the realm, she knows she has no freedom to choose whom 224Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 66 Two Hearts, Three Minds 两意三心 [Pure historical tragedy + no golden finger, no transmigration, no rebirth + 1v3, female lead is not a virgin] Neither the male nor the female lead is perfect. One is unruly and arrogant, the other insecure and timid, and both have their own character arcs. The cast is richly developed, with distinct personalities. She was nothing but the unloved daughter of a low-ranking sixth-grade official. Her father showed her no affection, her mother did not love her, and her younger sister bullied her 726Reads8.2Score101Shelves
- 67 Escape from the Peach Blossom Trap 逃夭 After losing her memory, Su Wan lost all her martial arts skills and was left disfigured. For no apparent reason, she married into the Lin family and was swept into a bloody storm. Yun Chen used love as bait, scheming at every turn as he deliberately drew close to her. He used her to wipe out his enemies, only to fall deeply in love with her before he realized it. When the truth came to light and her memories returned, she learned that it had all been a lie: the two of them were sworn enemies, a 415Reads9.0Score110Shelves
- 68 Twin Jades 双玦 That night, a blood moon hung in the sky, and the Star-Picking Terrace blazed with lights. Yan Ling stood by the railing and cut off her long hair. Her red robes were as hauntingly beautiful as flowers at the end of their bloom. “Xiao Fengqing, I would descend to the Yellow Springs and enter hell for you. Did you ever feel even the slightest bit of sincerity toward me?” Xiao Fengqing stood tall and graceful, his expression indifferent. “Never.” Yan Ling burst into laughter and leaped into the bo 764Reads8.8Score101Shelves
- 69 When the Flowers Fall, the Leaves Follow the Heart 花落离心叶相随 This story is very angsty and frustrating. The male lead is trash, the female lead is weak, and the plot is realistic, gloomy, and bland. Be aware that the male lead is the male lead only because he has more scenes and is more entangled with the female lead. It doesn’t mean the author likes him or that the female lead loves him all that much. The setting is fictional, drawing mostly on the Ming dynasty, with traces of the Song and Qing dynasties mixed in. It’s a hodgepodge. This is an ancient-er 2.9kReads9.2Score228Shelves
- 70 Jealousy, Jealousy 争妒争妒 He kept making the wrong choice; she gave her heart to the wrong man!!! Everyone in the capital knew the decade-long joke! Su Shu, the legitimate daughter of the Xiang family, pursued Mu Chengxuan, the Great General Who Protects the Nation, for ten years! Then one day, he actually married her!!! Their wedding stunned the entire capital! A decade of love should have been the envy of all, yet less than a year later, the Chancellor’s residence was raided and Su Shu died of an illness. This shocked 322Reads6.4Score—Shelves
- 71 Elder Brother, You Mustn't 兄长不可 Shen Yanci is the envy of everyone in the capital: the refined and upright heir of the Shen family, with a bright future ahead. Yet his family also takes in Su Wanqing, an orphan girl with no one to rely on. An elder's words, "Raise her by your side and treat her as your own younger sister," become an invisible shackle between them. He watches her grow from a timid little girl into a graceful young woman, cherishing and protecting her at every turn. But as they spend day after day together, he d 4.5kReads8.1Score508Shelves
- 72 A Beauty That Outshines the Nation 风华倾国 Ten years ago, she was the last princess of Mengxia. Ten years later, she is the foremost female grand preceptor of the Liuli Kingdom. In enemy territory, she makes careful moves, stirring up turmoil at court behind the scenes with her own hands, all to avenge a hatred that has cut deep! She had planned for everything, but his arrival was the one thing she never expected! He is the famed God of War, admired by women everywhere, yet he falls for her at first sight. Their encounter seems ordained 210Reads9.4Score—Shelves
- 73 When the Pear Blossoms Fall, Longing Turns to Ash 梨花落，相思烬 A misunderstanding in their youth made Bai Jinhan hate Chu Lihua to the core. When he returns, he forcefully keeps her by his side, all so he can get even. What he doesn’t know is that she has already given everything for their love... Later, when every pear blossom has fallen and longing turns to sorrow, Chu Lihua slips away without a sound, while Bai Jinhan goes mad in a way that shakes the world... 114Reads8.0Score—Shelves
- 74 A Guest in His Embrace 入慕之宾 A period of upheaval brought a new emperor and a reshuffling of the court. A Dai, a female mystic at the Yuqing Temple in the palace, was the emperor’s childhood friend in his eyes, but a scheming green tea in the harem’s. A Dai’s daily routine: Snack on melon seeds while listening to palace gossip, tell the consorts’ fortunes, hear the emperor complain about them, then take a hefty fee to play matchmaker between him and the consorts. And finally, join everyone in cursing the root of all evil, t 2kReads9.1Score295Shelves
- 75 Reborn to Win Back My Wife: Dump the Deadbeat, Climb to the Top 弃妻重生攻略：弃渣夫扶高枝 A discarded wife is reborn and plots her revenge + the aloof beauty descends from her pedestal for love + a newly appointed prefect from a noble family + a hidden benefactor's ruthless enforcer + a love-triangle showdown In her previous life, Mu Yanshu cooked for Shen Mobai, cared for his mother-in-law, raised his stepson and stepdaughter, and managed the Marquis of Anning's household. She spent her whole life serving Shen Mobai. Only as she lay dying did she discover that her children were the 2.6kReads9.5Score344Shelves
- 76 A Noble Lady’s Difficult Fate 贵女难当 As a proper noblewoman, Lin Qingwan had studied the Four Books and learned the lessons of womanly virtue from childhood, all so she could marry her cousin, to whom she had been betrothed since they were young, and become the perfect nobleman's wife. She thought they had grown up together and, even if they weren't head over heels in love, they could still share a loving life into old age, treating each other with respect. But her cousin was ambitious and single-minded in his pursuit of power. She 5.9kReads8.9Score639Shelves
- 77 Dark Night Emperor 暗夜帝君 The Dark Night Emperor 8Reads—Score—Shelves
- 78 Oh No, Prince! The Princess Consort Wants a Divorce Again 王爷不好了，王妃又来和离了 One morning, Gu Suluo wakes up to find she has become the abandoned consort of Prince Wuxuan. She has a bad reputation and a bad temper, and her family has turned against her. Her fake-white-lotus sister bullies and humiliates her, and even her husband despises her! Gu Suluo has had enough! She first gives her scheming sister a taste of her own medicine, then flings a divorce agreement in the prince's face! After that, she happily hurries back to her parents' home to mend her relationship with h 1.2kReads8.8Score144Shelves
- 79 Tricked Into Becoming a Concubine: This Mistress Won’t Join the Household Schemes 被骗做妾：姨娘不宅斗 [Pure historical romance + the heroine has a past, the hero doesn't + fighting back against manipulation + household intrigue + palace intrigue + coercive possession + angst before a satisfying payoff + substitute for his unattainable first love + punishing scoundrels + fictional setting] For an ordinary girl, is beauty a blessing or a curse? Liu Chunjun was so beautiful that County Magistrate Chen Chaoan seized her by force and made her his concubin 1.9kReads8.9Score243Shelves
- 80 The Heartless Empress 皇后薄情 [Ruthless Empress VS Cold-Blooded Prince] [Palace intrigue + power plays] She is the eldest legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo’s household, skilled at riding and archery, well versed in strategy, and every bit as bold and valiant as any man. Then, in a single night, everything changes. The Duke of Zhenguo’s household falls into decline, and she becomes empress. In public, she is a virtuous empress, renowned for her grace and dignity; in private, she plots every detail of her revenge, rut 959Reads9.1Score104Shelves
- 81 He Is the Calamity I Can’t Escape 他是我躲不过的劫 He Is the Fate I Can’t Escape 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 82 Beauty’s Bones 美人骨 A hero's tender embrace, a beauty's burial place. Even if she has to crawl, she'll survive in this merciless place and make him her devoted admirer! 263Reads8.0Score100Shelves
- 83 After I Was Given to the Prince, the Mad Emperor Regretted It Too Late 将我送给王爷后疯批皇帝追悔莫及 With beauty enough to topple cities, she was cursed by the world as a demoness who would bring ruin to the nation. The emperor's favor turned out to be nothing but a means of revenge. Behind the glittering splendor, the truth slowly emerges. The one responsible for the hatred between their country and their families is none other than him... A peerless beauty made heroes across the land fall at her feet, yet he wanted nothing more than to see her dead. After going to great lengths to trick the i 470Reads8.6Score—Shelves
- 84 Fragrant Thoughts Beneath the Silk Quilt 念香衾 5.6kReads8.9Score514Shelves
- 85 Deep Love, Fated to Part: I Turned Around to Find Everything Changed 情深缘浅，转身已是物是人非 [An intensely angsty tearjerker + the aesthetics of a tragic ending + love and hate intertwined + the second male lead wins + a devoted male lead who doesn’t understand love] “Mo, why are you taking her as your concubine?” “Rou’er is the one I love most. You’re nothing but a plaything to amuse me!” So it had all been a lie! But he didn’t know she was already carrying his child. In her previous life, she was Lin Jingxi, the noble princess of the peerless Wushuang Kingdom. When a treacherous minis 87Reads—Score—Shelves
- 86 The Road Ahead Is Hard 荨路难 “Emperor and consort” “Angst” “Daughter of a great clan” “Young emperor” “Childhood sweethearts” “Both pure” In all my life, the most naive thing I ever did was believe that there could be a way for both sides to win on the chessboard. 3.5kReads8.1Score219Shelves
- 87 The Lin Family’s Illegitimate Daughter Rose to Power 林家的外室女她出将拜相了 A major exam-fraud scandal shatters more than twenty years of peace in the court of the Great Li dynasty. Lin Xingzhou, once a chief examiner with a promising future, becomes a prisoner overnight, and the life of Lin Ying'an, the daughter of a concubine, is changed in an instant. To protect her family, she has no choice but to step into the Great Li court as it teeters on the brink of turmoil. The court is its own martial world. Where there is righteousness, there is evil. Watch as she, born the 742Reads9.1Score117Shelves
- 88 You Became the King, While I Became a Tragic Memory 你为君王，妾已成殇 After loving him for ten years, she helped him ascend the throne, but he slaughtered her entire family. These vast lands were stained with nothing but her family's blood. On a ten-mile bridal procession, he married the woman he loved and made her empress. Dressed all in white, she leapt from the city tower. Xiao Jingyu, my love for you has led me down a road from which there is no return. 357Reads5.5Score—Shelves
- 89 The Central Palace 中宫 “You are a gift from Qiu Zhenyu to the throne, offered in exchange for his head. Did your father not tell you that you must obey me?” With a light flick of the jade-handled fan in his hand, Xiang Ye removed the empress’s phoenix robe. “Grandmother said the daughters of the Qiu family don’t need to obey.” Min’er looked up at the king who had come drenched in blood, not the slightest bit afraid. On their wedding night, the emperor slept in another woman’s arms. Yet his neglect, humiliation, and bu 2.8kReads8.8Score367Shelves
- 90 The Phoenix Rules the Ninefold Heavens 凤倾九重 In her previous life, Chi Jingshu was dutiful and kept to herself, yet still suffered endless torment and ultimately earned the title of “the disastrous seductress who brought down a kingdom.” When her country fell and she was strangled to death against the towering red-lacquered walls of the imperial city, she thought, If I get another life, I'll live up to the name “calamity who ruins kingdoms and brings disaster to the people”! Reborn one day at the age when girls wear their first hairpin, Ch 3.1kReads8.8Score621Shelves
- 91 I Took in a Foolish Prince as My Live-In Son-in-Law 捡个傻王爷做赘婿 I Picked Up a Foolish Prince to Be My Live-In Son-in-Law 9Reads—Score—Shelves
- 92 Bound by Love at the Winter Solstice 冬至缚情 The eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Dingbei marries into Prince Chen’s household by imperial decree. On their wedding night, her husband abandons her for the woman he loves. A scheming white lotus puts on an act at every turn and provokes her. In the capital, everyone plots and schemes, and intrigue is everywhere, whether hidden or open. But what does any of it have to do with her? She doesn’t love Prince Chen, nor does she love this prosperous, sordid capital. All she wants is to r 51.4kReads9.1Score2.2kShelves
- 93 Li Huang (Complete in Three Volumes) 离凰（全三册） The pinnacle of harem fiction by the beautiful author Yi Lan Nishang! A match for Empresses in the Palace and Scarlet Heart A tale of tumultuous love and hatred within the palace walls Liu Lianzi, author of Empresses in the Palace, has written a heartfelt foreword He is a young emperor who ascended the throne as a child, a master of both letters and arms, revered by all beneath heaven. Caught in court intrigues, he is forced into marriage. She is the daughter of a powerful prime minister, blesse 6.3kReads9.3Score1kShelves
- 94 A Magpie Lands on a Branch 鹊踏枝 Shen Qiyuan, son of the Grand Princess, earned the emperor’s favor at a young age and wielded great power. In Great Qian, he could have anything he wanted. But Liu Ruyi was neither wind nor rain. She was an untamed warhorse beneath the blazing sun, a spark that would not go out in a torrential storm. She was the dream he hated, yet longed to touch every night. Shen Qiyuan x Liu Ruyi Features demons and gods; mystery-solving is secondary, romance is the focus. A fictional setting, so don’t get t 2.9kReads8.9Score447Shelves
- 95 The Phoenix Returns: A Conspiracy 凤归谋 [Historical fantasy with a powerful heroine, political intrigue, and satisfying revenge] [No transmigration + no rebirth + no System] Peach blossoms bloom in their splendor, their fiery beauty never fading. The phoenix returns to its home, then takes to the skies once more. Feng Xihe said: From childhood, I studied military texts and histories and trained in horsemanship, archery, and the art of war. Of the four arts, I devoted myself only to calligraphy, because Father said an emperor’s handwr 1.2kReads9.1Score128Shelves
- 96 In the South, Fine Trees Grow Thick with Leaves 南有嘉木，其叶蓁蓁 [A highly skilled female lead × a calculating male lead + both strong + devoted to each other] Zhang Jiamu has descended the mountain to kill the utterly wicked Prince of Yichang. But along the way, an old acquaintance repeatedly gets in her way, and their relationship is far from ordinary, making her hesitate to strike. Memories of the past surge through her mind. Before entering Yiyan Mountain, she was born into a distinguished family, with a loving mother, a happy betrothal, and a young broth 47Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 97 The Moon Shines Toward the Evening 明月向晚 Zhu Mingyue, the capital's most talented woman, has once again incurred everyone's wrath. This time, it's because she's engaged to the Fourth Prince, said to be the most elegant man under heaven. But when she wakes from a nap, Zhu Mingyue discovers she's become Xiang Wan, a simple-minded girl from a small town in Qingzhou. Jiang Heng: “She's a catch. Hurry up and bring her back to my estate!” Xiang Wan: “Get lost! When I was making waves in the capital, you were still wearing split-crotch pants! 2.4kReads9.1Score258Shelves
- 98 Ginger 姜了 My name is Jiang Liao. My mother said it meant “born only to die.” She wasn’t wrong. Though I am a princess of Jiang, I was born in the Cold Palace and destined to suffer cruelty and contempt. Even the heir of Northern Qi, held here as a hostage, mocked me: “Jiang Liao, you’re both princesses, so why are you lying on the ground while Princess Yihe rides on your back? Don’t you hate her?” I knew what he was trying to do by provoking me. He wanted to use me to escape Jiang, and perhaps even bring 275Reads7.6Score101Shelves
- 99 Has Lord Xiahou the Chatterbox Finally Shut Up Today? 话痨的夏侯大人，今天闭嘴了吗 [One true love ➕ pure historical setting ➕ happy ending ➕ sweet romance ➕ a little angst along the way] [No transmigration, no rebirth, no golden finger, pure historical fiction] Xiahou Huai, young master of Shanhai Tower, once swore that he would never love anyone in this life, especially not a woman. Romance was just too painful. Jiang Zhefeng, a scholar who disguised herself as a man, once swore that she would keep living as a man and never fall for any man. After they met, Xiahou Huai acc 917Reads9.3Score175Shelves
- 100 The Follower Who Betrayed the Snake God 背叛蛇神的信徒 The Wen clan of Huazhou excelled at chess and had worshipped the Snake God for generations. But the emperor's wife and daughter were mysteriously killed by a snake demon. The emperor decreed that all demons be exterminated. The Wen clan defied the decree and was wiped out. The clan's legitimate daughter escaped and swore revenge. With nowhere else to turn, she returned to Huazhou to beg the Snake God for help. The god was powerless to undo what had happened to the Wen clan. Devastated beyond mea 20Reads8.6Score—Shelves
