Novels like Step by Step to Glory
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Step by Step to Glory, best match first.
- 101 After My White Moonlight Entered the Palace, the Emperor Doted on Me Alone and Made Me Empress 白月光入宫后，帝王独宠我封后 [Mutual Firsts] [Devoted Love] [Love at First Sight] [A Young Emperor with Absolute Power vs. A Beloved White Moonlight Who Plays the Pig to Eat the Tiger] The young emperor had been on the throne for years, holding the realm's power in his hands. His harem was filled with noble daughters from powerful clans, yet he had never favored a single consort, let alone appointed an empress. Everyone in the palace thought the emperor was indifferent to desire. Only he knew the truth: in his heart, he had 57.2kReads8.4Score9kShelves
- 102 The Bedchamber Maid Climbed Into the Wrong Bed, and Now the Whole Household Wants Her to Take Charge 通房丫鬟爬错床，全府求她掌家 [Female-oriented]+ [Marriage swap]+ [Book Transmigration]+ [Maid’s rise to success]+ [Contrasting heroines] Modern office worker Mei Jiu died suddenly and became a low-ranking maid in the marquis’s household. She and her best friend Chuntao agreed to sneak into their masters’ beds, but through a strange twist of fate, they got mixed up. Mei Jiu accidentally discovered that she might have transmigrated into a book. It seemed she had unintentionally stolen Chuntao’s opportunity. A maid’s usual goa 240Reads8.9Score—Shelves
- 103 Parting with Dreams 与梦离 [Harem Intrigue + Reborn + Political Scheming + Plot-Driven + Ensemble Cast + Serious Drama + Historical Romance] Prologue: Late at night, a sudden downpour began. The jade orchid by the bed gave off a captivating fragrance, as bewitching and hard to resist as the lovely woman in his arms. Urgent knocking sounded outside the bedchamber, accompanied by Eunuch Li's voice. “Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! Consort Yao jumped into a well and took her own life!” “What!” The emperor's he 13Reads—Score—Shelves
- 104 After Flirting with the Emperor, the Noble Consort Wants No Responsibility 撩拨皇帝后，贵妃她不想负责 Household intrigue in the beginning, palace intrigue later. Bai Zhi was the legitimate daughter of the prime minister. Though born to the prime minister's household, her mother died young and her father remarried. He doted on her younger sister, while Bai Zhi spent sixteen years unloved by her father and mother. Then an imperial decree came: the emperor had chosen her to be Prince Ying's concubine. Later, Prince Ying ascended the throne. "Your Majesty, this is terrible! Consort Xian slapped Lady 1.1kReads7.4Score112Shelves
- 105 The Sweet, Seductive Palace Maid Flirts with the Crown Prince, Then Runs Away 娇娇宫女媚又软，撩完太子她就跑 [Clear-headed, calculating palace maid vs. obsessive, lovesick emperor; reborn revenge + palace intrigue + satisfying revenge + romantic rivalry + running away while pregnant + sugary romance + the emperor chases his wife] In her previous life, Yun Xuesu was a low-ranking palace maid. Her fiancé served in the palace as a guard, and she gave him her monthly wages and did whatever he told her. In the end, he handed her over to a wicked concubine to be used as a blood beauty treatment. Locked in a 92Reads6.2Score—Shelves
- 106 The Deposed Crown Prince Plays Weak Just So She'll Comfort Him 废太子他扮娇弱，就想让她好好哄 [Devoted couple + pure historical romance + sweet, doting ancient romance + 1v1 + fictional setting + not a strong heroine] (A ruthless, cunning deposed crown prince who plays the pig to eat the tiger × a kindhearted, beautiful, delicate concubine-born young lady) Lu Jie was named Crown Prince of Da'an the moment he was born. He grew up enjoying every luxury and privilege. The Emperor of Da'an dotes on the Empress alone. There are no other consorts in the harem and no other princes. Everyone bel 647Reads8.7Score100Shelves
- 107 Locked in the Deep of Spring 锁春深 He Wucheng was renowned as a true gentleman. She chose him as her consort, cutting off his path to a brilliant future. She compared him to a mere entertainer and mocked him, making him crawl beneath her skirts. She relished the pleasure of dragging him down from his pedestal. She asked scornfully, “How does it feel to get by on your looks?” She wanted to see humiliation and resentment on his face, along with the look of someone forced to endure it. But he smiled, amusement in his eyes, and repli 69Reads6.7Score—Shelves
- 108 The Prince’s Consort 皇子妃 Lord Pei of the Ministry of War is a blunt, single-minded man, yet his household is home to three lovely young women of marriageable age. The eldest, Pei Lanyi, seems to have inherited her father’s temperament: she is foolishly blunt and brazen. When the hugely popular Second Prince invites her to join him in marriage and offers to take her as a secondary consort, she turns him down with a single line: “A legitimate daughter does not become a concubine.” “Not a concubine?” the Second Prince snee 160Reads8.7Score—Shelves
- 109 The Fertile Consort Is Alluring, and the Heirless Crown Prince Sinks Deeper Every Day 好孕娘娘娇媚撩人，绝嗣太子日日沉沦 [Both reborn + exchanged marriages + sole favor in the harem + reborn heroine vs. transmigrated heroine + transmigrate into a book + comparison characters] Cui Jin died a gruesome death. In her previous life, her elder legitimate sister chose the fertility pill and married into the imperial family, only to die in childbirth. Cui Jin took the Bond of Love pill, which was supposed to ensure a loving marriage, and married Shen Zhiheng. But he was in love with her elder sister and watched coldly as 14.2kReads8.6Score1.8kShelves
- 110 My Cousin’s Golden Goose! I Brought Him Home! 表哥的金大腿！被我抱回家！ A devoted, exclusive romance with a happy ending. Please read the blurb before starting. Also known as Destroyed Ten of My Engagements, Then My Cousin, the Heir, Begged to Marry Into My Family Xiao Qinglan, heir to the Marquis of Zhenbei, has a young cousin living under his family’s roof. He knows only that she loves him dearly. He has no idea she’s had a fiancé all along. It must have been hard for her to love him so much while already being betrothed to someone else. But… didn’t she break 763Reads8.6Score112Shelves
- 111 Reborn, I Read the Transmigrator's Mind and Secure My Place in the Eastern Palace 重生后读心穿越女，我稳坐东宫 (Reborn twice, an arranged marriage swap, a noblewoman taking down a transmigrator, mind-reading, and the rise of a crown princess) In her past life, Chu Qing's legitimate elder sister married the gentle Crown Prince, only to meet a tragic end. Chu Qing had no choice but to marry the brutal Prince Li, yet went on to become the mother of the empire. After being reborn, her sister switched brides and married Prince Li, leaving the position of Crown Princess to Chu Qing. “Little sister, ever sinc 416Reads8.4Score102Shelves
- 112 A Scheme of Desire 欲成谋 They say the chief of Qingzong Stockade is a scoundrel who does whatever he pleases and has a twisted temperament. Tan Yin deliberately fell into his hands. It was a dangerous gamble from the start. Inside the hall, the bonfire blazed as he drank and joked with the others. Outside, the autumn wind howled, and her life hung by a thread. She lay prostrate on the ground, enduring the pain, then reached up and wrapped her arms around his ankle. “Please, have mercy on me.” In the bitter depths of win 148Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 113 Transmigration: Becoming the Most Powerful Woman in the Qing Dynasty's Imperial Harem 穿越：在清朝做后宫第一人 [Qing-era transmigration, court intrigue, raising children, pure palace scheming] A word of warning!! [Not a sweet romance, not both characters’ first and only, no golden finger] Please don’t read if that bothers you. Jia Hui never thought she would transmigrate. She has the lowest rank, comes from a maid’s family, and has offended Consort De, the historical winner. How can she turn things around when she’s in hell mode from the start? She carefully advances step by step, becoming Kangxi’s favor 487Reads7.5Score112Shelves
- 114 The Tyrant Can Read Minds, and His Palace Maid Rules the World with His Love 自带暴君读心术，小宫女娇宠天下 Transmigrate into a book + Tyrant + Hear His Inner Thoughts + His One and Only + Palace Intrigue + Wild Rewrite Overnight, An Xin, a college student from a village in northern China, transmigrates into a book! She lands in an obscure novel. She has arrived in the era when the tyrant Gao Gong rules all of Northern Wei! Ten minutes until Gao Gong suffers food poisoning and executes every palace maid and eunuch present! After barely escaping disaster, An Xin discovers that she has the role of a 22Reads6.4Score—Shelves
- 115 The Order of the Cold Boat 寒舟令 The day my entire family was executed, I became the sole survivor of the Shen family. Seven years later, I took on the identity of an orphan girl named Chen Zhou and infiltrated my enemy’s residence, the Shen estate, as a maid. They laughed at me for being as lowly as a weed. I laughed at them for being on the brink of death. I wielded medicine as a blade and turned the inner household into a game, throwing the illustrious Shen estate into chaos. Then the powerful official Xie Lin seized me by t 230Reads—Score—Shelves
- 116 The Sweet Little Palace Maid and the Mad Emperor's Wanton Affection 娇软小宫女，疯批帝王肆意宠 Yao Qing's goal in life: save enough silver to leave the palace. Then she met Xiao Linyuan, the emperor who spoiled her without limit. After that, her whole outlook changed. 130Reads7.1Score—Shelves
- 117 From the Start, All I Had Was a Trash System: A College Girl Takes on the Palace Schemes 开局一个破系统，女大学生闯宫斗 [Household and Palace Intrigue + No Naive Doormat Heroine + Rise to Power + Sweet and Satisfying] Also known as: Everyone Has to Kneel Before Me? A university student who knows palace-intrigue dramas inside out transmigrates, and the empress’s throne is practically in her grasp! She transmigrates into the Forbidden City, only to find herself a lowly palace maid! What a disastrous start. Luckily, she has a System to help her. But you’re saying my ultimate mission is to become empress? Me? Empress 612Reads8.2Score107Shelves
- 118 Born Noble, the Empress Climbs Her Way to the Top 娘娘天生尊贵，一路宫斗上位 [The Warm-Faced, Cold-Hearted Emperor * His Obsessive, Sweet-Natured Consort] [Not a Pure Romance + Romance-Focused] Yun Xiaoxue was born into privilege, with wealth, connections, and power at her fingertips. She had hoped to travel the world as a carefree princess, but an imperial edict summoned her to the palace. She entered the palace as a Jieyu, already a high-ranking consort. But the Empress Dowager's niece came before her, and the emperor's cousin followed. Lady Xu had long enjoyed the emp 1kReads8.0Score110Shelves
- 119 Good Fortune Is Always on the Way 好孕常在 [Transmigration + no System + childbirth + devoted love in the later story + male lead is not a virgin] [Female lead keywords: stunning beauty + drama queen + clear-eyed realist] After transmigrating, Lin Wan became a low-ranking concubine. Everyone said Emperor Hongjing's lack of sons was divine punishment. Lin Wan, a genius medicine master: Yeah, right! You want a beauty as light as a swallow, and lots of children and grandchildren too? As if you can have it both ways! With her medical skills 637Reads8.8Score103Shelves
- 120 The Mute Girl Marries Up 哑女高嫁 She was the famous deaf and mute legitimate daughter of the Shen family. A calamity when she was eight forced her to live under that identity, treading carefully and watching her every step. He was the heir to Prince Rui's manor, the most notorious wastrel in Lan City. Frequenting brothels was routine for him, and no one knew what he was really like. She married him, only to spend their wedding night alone. Three days later, when she returned to her family home, he was drunk at a brothel. Rumors 881Reads9.0Score100Shelves
- 121 Locking the Yuanluan 锁元鸾 (The rating is low because few people have rated it) [Palace intrigue + satisfying revenge on scumbags + dramatic, mischievous heroine + heroine isn't ruled by love + seizing power + play the pig to eat the tiger + ensemble cast] Everyone in the palace knows that Empress Lin Yuanluan, the emperor's second empress, is shallow, foolish, domineering, and lovesick. Only Yuanluan herself knows she has never loved the emperor. That's precisely why she was able to rise from a mere secondary consort to 41Reads8.0Score—Shelves
- 122 May the Years Bring Peace, and May All Be Well 愿岁长康，十方皆安 [Pure historical romance, not a rebirth story + mutual devotion + the fate of the nation + sweet romance and a happy ending. The heroine is clever and charming; the hero is a formidable military commander] One is a noble-born princess, the other a warlord of the north. An imperial decree of marriage bound them together. They joined forces for their own purposes and came together for mutual gain. The young woman fled home to escape danger, taking her younger brother north to marry the military co 1.5kReads8.6Score159Shelves
- 123 Book Transmigration: I Kissed the Mad and Powerful Minister Senseless 穿书：疯批权臣被我亲懵了 Shen Mian unexpectedly transmigrated into an ancient-era romance novel as the vicious cannon-fodder supporting female character. Having read only the beginning and the ending, Shen Mian gazed at the stunning young man before her and couldn't help swallowing. Fraill and sickly since childhood, he'd suffered every humiliation and never known a shred of warmth. All he wanted was to destroy this filthy world. And she would become the second soul to die by his blade. Shen Mian was mortified. She deci 139Reads9.1Score—Shelves
- 124 Marrying into the Eastern Palace: Crown Prince, Please Cherish Me 嫁东宫：太子，求你疼我 Also known as: Marrying into the Eastern Palace: Crown Prince, Please Love Me Jiang Lin has a voluptuous figure and is one of the most beautiful women in the capital. Everyone calls her a rare beauty, but even so, her childhood sweetheart got a maid pregnant and then pushed Jiang Lin into the water. Jiang Lin wants to break off their engagement, but her childhood sweetheart refuses. So the two of them remain stuck in this stalemate. Finally, Jiang Lin steels herself and turns to the Crown Prince 46Reads6.0Score—Shelves
- 125 After Marrying My Nemesis, We Shared a Bed and a Dream 嫁给死对头后我们同床亦同梦 [Marriage first, love later: conflict at first, sweetness afterward, and both have exes] After a sudden upheaval, the upright and honorable father of Song Chaoge, the most talented young woman in the capital, is sentenced to exile at the frontier. She is forced to marry her sworn enemy, the Third Prince, Zhao Musheng. She stays in the capital, enduring humiliation while gathering evidence to clear her father’s name. To take on their common enemy, the former adversaries become allies. After an 342Reads—Score109Shelves
- 126 I Survive in the Imperial Harem Through Gossip 我靠八卦立足后宫 The emperor is both annoyed and pleased. He’s annoyed that while traveling incognito, a palace maid forced him into a food-sharing arrangement. But he’s pleased that she’s a delightful confidante who gossips about the harem every day. “Consort An is stupid and greedy.” “Consort Xian is having an affair with a guard.” Then one day, the maid smiles sweetly and gossips to the emperor: “I heard His Majesty is impotent…” 605Reads8.4Score108Shelves
- 127 The Noble Consort Is Alluring and Teasing: The Emperor Dotes on Her Every Day 贵妃茶又媚：皇帝日日娇宠轻哄 Gu Xian opened her eyes and discovered that she had not only transmigrated into a book, but had also become a minor character with the lowest rank in the emperor's harem in a palace-intrigue novel. Her legitimate half-sister kept setting traps for her in the palace, and the other concubines were all at odds with her too. Gu Xian's new life in the harem was a living hell. Fortunately, she had a golden finger, a spirit spring that could keep her alive. She figured surviving to a ripe old age in th 106Reads8.7Score—Shelves
- 128 The Maid Is Sweet and Scheming, Climbing Her Way to the Top 宫女又茶又媚，一路内卷做娘娘 [They scheme against each other + the male lead has been with other women, while the female lead is chaste + palace intrigue + exclusive devotion later on + marriage before love] The rating just came in. It’ll go up later. The heroine grows over time! She suffers a little at first, but later fights back and gets a major power-up! She was once the cherished jewel of the Jinzhong prefect, raised like nobility. But when her father was exposed for corruption and thrown into prison, she was implicate 267Reads6.9Score—Shelves
- 129 She Entered the Palace as a Zhaoyi, Bewitching the Emperor with Her Obsession and Allure 入宫即是昭仪，又痴又媚紧握帝王 That year, she fell for him at first sight. She threw caution to the wind and insisted on entering the palace as his concubine, even knowing she was nothing more than a pawn he used to keep the harem in check. She was willing. Even knowing his heart held only the empire and Empress Chu, she was willing to be a reflection beneath Empress Chu’s feet. As Su Qingluan pursued the emperor’s love, schemes and intrigues unfolded in the harem, one step at a time. He once said, “You shouldn’t expect an em 1.6kReads8.4Score135Shelves
- 130 A Palace Maid Rises to Power and Becomes the Tyrant’s Beloved 宫女上位，成为暴君心尖宠 [Harem intrigue] [The leads are not each other’s first] [He only dotes on her in the later part] Overworked office worker Fang Ziluo transmigrated into the body of a young palace maid named Fang Zhilu. Three years earlier, the emperor had exchanged a few words with her. That alone was enough to offend Noble Consort Liu, and she spent the next three years tending the kitchen fire. The original Fang Zhilu had died a miserable death after enduring all that humiliation. Fang Zhilu thought, Now that 735Reads8.8Score105Shelves
- 131 After His White Moonlight Enters the Palace, the Dog Emperor Won’t Stop Pursuing Her 白月光入宫后，狗皇帝紧追不舍 [Historical romance + both pure + childhood sweethearts + fictional setting + devoted love] From the moment she was born, Su Qining always got everything she wanted. Her family spoiled her until she became the little tyrant of the capital. She was dazzlingly beautiful and willful, the apple of the Crown Prince’s eye since childhood, and his future Crown Princess. But when the Crown Prince broke off their engagement, she became the laughingstock of the capital. Worse still, on the day of his wedd 321Reads5.7Score104Shelves
- 132 Good Heavens! Consort Zhao Has Kicked His Majesty Out of Her Bedchamber Again 天！昭妃娘娘又把陛下赶出了寝宫 [Sweet harem romance, little palace intrigue, don't read if these tropes bother you] She bought a painting out of curiosity, only to fall asleep and find herself reborn all over again. Starting as a tiny baby, she experiences life in ancient times, and her once-cold heart is warmed by her family. She wants to protect them, too, so she decides to warm that person's heart as well... 1.6kReads8.6Score224Shelves
- 133 Four Years After Her Death, the Crown Prince Brought Back a Substitute 她死后第四年，太子带回一个替身 [The short drama is now available] [Palace intrigue, rebirth, adorable child] [The heroine has renounced love / the crown prince pursues her after losing her] When the crown prince falls from power and is imprisoned in You Tai, he contracts a plague and teeters on the brink of death. She stays by his side without ever abandoning him. After returning to the Eastern Palace, the crown prince marries her half-sister as his crown princess. As for her, he orders that the mother be killed and the child 1.2kReads8.7Score108Shelves
- 134 Frost-Kissed Beauty: A Journey Through the Palace to Win the Emperor’s Heart 冰霜绝艳：辗转宫闱征服帝王心 [A note up front: This isn’t good, this isn’t good, this isn’t good. It’s brainless, brainless. Don’t click! Don’t click! Don’t click! Don’t click] The emperor, Li Yi, has just one standard for choosing his concubines: they must be beautiful. Song Yunchu, a concubine-born daughter who has suffered abuse since childhood, is chosen by Emperor Li Yi to enter the palace because of her stunning looks. Before entering the palace, her mother is looked down on by the servants, and her younger sister bu 655Reads9.0Score100Shelves
- 135 Tame the Little Bunny, and the Emperor Will Fall for Her on His Own 驯到小白兔，帝王他会自己沦陷 “Xiao Jiao, you’ll have to beg me.” [Tyrant + Devoted Couple + Face-Slapping and Falling Hard + Sweet, Delicate Beauty + Coercive Possession + A Little Love Triangle + A Short Groveling Chase] A foolish beauty who knows she’s foolish VS a powerful, deep-minded emperor who rules with an iron fist Rong Jiao is timid and afraid of death, but also delicate and pampered, with a rosy face and peach-blossom cheeks that make people want to protect her. One day, she is sold to a brothel. The disguised ty 137Reads6.4Score—Shelves
- 136 The Little Palace Maid Who Ruled the Harem 小宫女宠冠后宫 [A pampered little palace maid × a possessive, scheming emperor; pseudo-childhood sweethearts; doted on from the start; happy ending] When A Ruo was seven, the Grand Empress Dowager found her and brought her into the palace. She had been raised by her ever since. Though she was a maid, everyone in the palace addressed her as Miss A Ruo. Life couldn’t have been sweeter. But her carefree days didn’t last long. After four years away from the capital, she returned to hear something unbelievable. The 4.9kReads7.5Score533Shelves
- 137 As Long as You Can Act, You’re Bound to Become a Consort 只要演技好，贵妃之位没得跑 Lin Qingyan was the daughter of a marquis. Her father was the Marquis of Ding'an, a prominent figure at court, yet she had none of the fine clothes and luxurious comforts that should have come with her birth. She was merely an unloved concubine-born daughter of the Marquis of Ding'an’s household. A father who ignored the people and affairs of the inner quarters and cared only for his own pleasure; a ruthless legal wife who treated her concubine-born daughters harshly; and a half-sister who wante 1.6kReads8.6Score184Shelves
- 138 Chen Wanyin, Harem Champion 宫斗冠军陈婉茵 Tales from the Prince's Residence: the stories of Fucha Gege and Fucha Fujin Tales from the harem: Empress Xiaoxian's thirteen years on the throne The harem's hidden turmoil: the truth behind Nala's hair-cutting Transmigrators, the palace intrigue begins! … Please like, comment, and leave a nudge for the next update. If you could also send a “Power Up for Love,” I’ll post three chapters a day without fail! Thanks so much for all your support! 202Reads—Score—Shelves
- 139 The Entire Court Can Read Minds, and the Little Palace Maid Is Everyone's Favorite 满朝文武读心术，小宫女全朝独宠 [Mind-reading across the whole court + everyone's favorite + lighthearted + hilarious] Li Qingle transmigrates into a book, landing in an ancient novel as a little palace maid who stands behind the emperor and fans him. The emperor says, “These are the memorials you've submitted? What is all this nonsense? ‘Your Majesty, what will you eat today?’ What I eat is my business. Why are you asking me? Do you have nothing better to do all day?” [Of course they have nothing better to do. Your ministers 212Reads7.0Score—Shelves
- 140 The Empress Is Far Too Ambitious 娘娘她太有事业心了 [Palace intrigue! Palace intrigue! Scheming + palace intrigue + sweet romance + slight ensemble cast] [You won’t regret getting invested!!] Watch a sweet, ambitious girl work her way up, one step at a time! From an Attendant to an empress who rules the realm! A sweet girl who plays dumb but is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing × a cold, cunning emperor! His sole favorite? Can you really believe the emperor has just one? True love? The palace is a deep sea. All Lin Yueqing can do is seize the emp 12Reads—Score—Shelves
- 141 The Regent King Courts Me Every Day, but This Wicked Consort Wants the Throne! 摄政王天天邀宠，妖妃只想篡位！ [Reborn + revenge + substitute + scheming male lead. Not your usual sweet romance: a villainess is reborn, and she knows exactly what she's doing] She murdered high-ranking officials and colluded with enemy nations! The bewitching consort Xie Zhuoning, who had thrown the court into chaos, was sentenced by the regent to die by a thousand arrows. She opened her eyes and found herself back in her youth. Xie Zhuoning stared at the man responsible for her death and smiled with devastating allure. In 237Reads8.7Score—Shelves
- 142 The Favored Green Tea Consort: The Little Palace Maid's Rise to Power 娇宠绿茶贵妃之小宫女上位录 [Palace intrigue + spatial dimension + green-tea schemer + compulsive tattletale] Not exclusively doted on, not mutually chaste In her previous life, she was a little demon, a purple sable who devoted herself to cultivation. Just when she finally managed to ascend to the immortal realm, she met a lunatic immortal official. That male immortal kept harassing her, causing an uproar throughout the immortal realm and getting her stripped of her immortal status and cast down into the mortal world. In 9Reads7.1Score—Shelves
- 143 You Raise Me to the High Platform, I’ll Lure You into the Trap 君捧我上高台，我等君入瓮 You raise me to the heights, and I'll wait for you to walk into my trap. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 144 The Empress Faked Her Death, and the Emperor Went on a Rampage 娘娘假死后，陛下杀疯了 What should you do after transmigrating into a book as a cannon-fodder heroine? Run! Jiang Qing fakes her death and escapes the palace, leaving the emperor heartbroken. When he discovers she faked her death, the emperor swears he'll catch her and make her suffer! But when he finally catches her, he shamelessly holds her in his arms and coaxes her gently. 817Reads8.9Score101Shelves
- 145 The Emperor’s Favorite: His Beloved Consort 娇妃娘娘盛宠六宫 (Transmigration + System + palace intrigue + happily ever after with the heroine as the emperor’s sole favorite) Xu Lanshan transmigrates into the body of a palace maid who was tortured to death by her own mistress. She has no choice but to plot her escape. The only way to stay alive is to win the emperor’s favor. She sees the bright side: he’s the most powerful man in the world, and he’s young and handsome, too. Sleeping with him would be a win. But what’s with this palace-intrigue System? If s 1.2kReads8.9Score104Shelves
- 146 Reborn Palace Maid: She Only Wants to Fight for the Emperor's Favor 重生宫女之她只想宫斗 In her previous life, Jiaoyun spent years confined in the Cold Palace before finally being released. What she got in return was a useless husband and a wicked mother-in-law. This time, she decisively betrayed her mistress and climbed into someone else’s bed, successfully rising in status. And then she became the lowest-ranking palace maid… When Emperor Jingheng first saw Jiaoyun, he was merely captivated by her looks. “How can this palace maid have fairer skin than the Noble Consort?” Jiaoy 745Reads9.1Score101Shelves
- 147 The Side Consort’s Memoir of Becoming Empress 侧妃为后记 [Household Intrigue + Palace Intrigue] Not a one-on-one romance. The male lead has a wife and concubines early on, but later dotes on the heroine alone. No suspicion or misunderstandings. A little angst, but mostly sweet. The heroine falls for him first, but she isn't completely ruled by love. Her experiences have shaped her, and she's usually quite level-headed. (Though perhaps she is a little taken by his looks.) The male lead doesn't realize his own feelings, but he's been good to the heroine 3.4kReads9.0Score277Shelves
- 148 As You Wish 如意 When they first met, he was an exalted emperor, while she was a lowly palace maid who bowed and scraped before him. A casual, thoughtless remark from him saved her life. The palace matrons said that everyone here valued their own lives, and that loyalty to one's master was nothing but a joke people paid lip service to. Ruyi never imagined that her loyalty and courage would one day completely change her fate. “Do you dare tell me the truth?” the young emperor asked. His loneliness rivaled his glo 302Reads8.1Score101Shelves
- 149 The Finest Branch of Spring 独占春风第一枝 Shen Tangxi, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Jingguo’s household, was gentle and dignified. One day, she entered the palace after being selected as a consort. She never competed for favor, vied for attention, or formed factions. But the most formidable people in this world have never been the ones who bare their claws. They are the ones who act without making a sound. While others fought to outshine one another, he loved most the sight of her grinding ink with her delicate hands and quiet 14.6kReads8.8Score1.6kShelves
- 150 Phoenix and Luan in the Palace of Tranquility 凤鸾坤宁 [Empress + not a mutually exclusive romance + pure palace intrigue + intelligent characters + bearing a son to seize the throne] Zhao Zhenshu, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Wei’s household, married the legitimate second son of the Prince of Jin’s household. She had only wanted to be the principal wife in the inner quarters. But when the Crown Prince rebelled, the emperor simply replaced him. The legitimate second son of the Prince of Jin’s household was suddenly transformed into the lof 2.1kReads6.9Score179Shelves
