Novels like A Rough Start: The Imperial Consort Rises Through the Ranks and Has a Baby with Her Red Packet Group
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as A Rough Start: The Imperial Consort Rises Through the Ranks and Has a Baby with Her Red Packet Group, best match first.
- 1 A True Account of Surviving the Harem 后宫生存实录 [Palace Intrigue + Ensemble Cast] [The heroine transmigrates, with no golden finger; neither lead is inexperienced] The author isn’t good at writing blurbs, so please head straight to the story. Shen Zhiyi, a psychological counselor, transmigrates into the body of a low-ranking concubine. From the start, she sees Su, the “deceased empress’s replacement,” win the emperor’s favor only to fall under suspicion. She also watches the “adorably foolish” Xu Yanran get used as a pawn and demoted to the 18Reads—Score—Shelves
- 2 Splendor of the Imperial Palace 深宫风华录 [Pure palace intrigue, transmigration, no System, ensemble cast, not a power fantasy] Sixteen-year-old Zhou Xialong arrives in ancient times after an accident. Burdened with the mission of a girl who shares her name, she enters the inner palace. The harem isn’t as fraught with danger as she imagined, but neither is it as harmonious as it seems. Trapped in this lavish cage of gold, she watches helplessly as one vibrant life after another is extinguished amid the plots and rivalries behind the ver 6Reads—Score—Shelves
- 3 Qing Transmigration: The Short-Lived Empress Is Determined to Live Longer This Time 清穿：短命皇后这次要长寿 [Alternate Qing Dynasty + Reborn with a Golden Finger + Harem Leveling Up + Everyday Life Raising Kids] Entered the palace at fifteen, became empress at sixteen, and died at seventeen. Kangxi's Empress Xiaozhaoren, Niu Hulu Mingzhu, near the top of the rankings of short-lived empresses, has been reborn! This time, she vows to make her debut as the low-ranking concubine Uya, never to lose her head over love, and to focus entirely on her career! Xuanye: “My beloved consort, I will protect you for 42Reads—Score—Shelves
- 4 Here, Boy, Boy, Boy! Come Here, You Dog Emperor! 嘬嘬嘬，狗皇帝！快过来！ Refreshing, straightforward, and funny, with no melodrama, no self-righteous do-gooders, and no romance-addled heroines. Emperor: “My beloved consort, you worked hard last night. How about I excuse you from paying your respects today?” Noble Consort: “I didn’t work hard, Your Majesty. Are you testing me? I’m not very bright and don’t understand all these roundabout hints. Am I supposed to go or not? Just give me a straight answer!” Consort A: “The Noble Consort is young and lovely, so of course —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 5 The Lin Family Sisters in Dream of the Red Chamber 红楼之林家双姝 A Dream of Red Mansions + Qing Dynasty transmigration + golden finger + pocket dimension + planes Swept by a typhoon into the world of A Dream of Red Mansions, she becomes the Lin family’s eldest daughter, a character who never appeared in the original story. Knowing the tragic fate of the Lin family, she wants to change things. Little does she expect to be the very butterfly from Zhuang Zhou’s dream. The plot changes, and the Lin family gets a different ending. Since she is a member of the Li 52Reads5.1Score—Shelves
- 6 Crafting a Phoenix: From Consort Jin to Empress Dowager 匠心谋凰：从瑾嫔到太后 [Palace intrigue, alternate setting, a vast harem with many ranks, not a one-on-one favorite, most characters are clever and ruthless, a few are reckless fools, and the heroine stays clear-headed from beginning to end. A satisfying story with a touch of ensemble cast.] Tang Yuan is the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Works, sent into the palace by her father as a lucky charm to prove his loyalty. But that’s fine by her: Her ambitious and capable father earns her steady promotions in the e 1.3kReads8.0Score149Shelves
- 7 Is This Right? Forbidden City: The Countercurrent Spy Sings on the Strings 這對嗎紫禁城：逆流密探吟弦 Being the legitimate second daughter was only a title, it turned out. The blue agate bracelet was mottled and dull, its color faded. “How tragic! I happen to know a little about what went on behind the scenes, too... Not long after your mother entered the palace, several palace maids died in strange incidents in the Forbidden City... I don’t know who let the secret slip, but a message was sent to the prince’s household saying your mother...” “Enough!” “I can’t skip the imperial selection. Re —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 8 The Concubine's Daughter Rises to the Top: I'm Determined to Be a Master-Level Green Tea! 庶女上位，满级绿茶我当定了！ [Palace and Household Intrigue + Clever, Satisfying Revenge + Strong Female Lead + Not Love-Brained + Scheming Against the Entire Harem] A minor official’s illegitimate daughter, her birth mother dead early, a father who lives off women, and a younger sister. Great, great. A disastrous start. Wen Qian’s eyes go dark. Can’t I just lie flat? Then a turn of fortune comes. Threatened into entering the palace, she catches the young emperor’s eye that very night and is summoned to his bed. Judging by 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 9 Pregnancy Gets You Promoted? The Blessed Daughter Storms the Imperial Harem! 怀孕就晋封？好孕福女闯后宫！ The wife of the Yu family gave birth to thirty-five sons and one daughter over thirty years of marriage. Every delivery was smooth, and she was famed in the capital as the living embodiment of the Goddess of Fertility. But soon after her youngest daughter was weaned, the Goddess of Fertility's work was done and she passed away. Before she died, she personally named the girl Yu Liulian. Yu sounds like “fish,” a symbol of many children; liu means “pomegranate,” another symbol of many children; and 793Reads8.0Score102Shelves
- 10 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
- 11 After the Supporting Ladies Are Reborn, the Empress Goes on a Killing Spree 女配扎堆重生后，娘娘她杀疯了 (This was my first book. Don't read it, it's not good.) Murong Zhao had always been the sort of woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her aims. Calling her ruthless would be putting it mildly. In her previous life, she misjudged people and was betrayed by her imperial brother when her kingdom fell. After many twists and turns, she ended up spending the rest of her life in the Laundry Bureau. In this life, huh, the villainess is reborn? You're telling me someone like me was the villainess? M 5Reads—Score—Shelves
- 12 The Consort Rises to Power! Her Majesty Only Wants to Rule the Realm 宠妃上位！娘娘她只想母仪天下 Neither lead is sexually inexperienced. No rebirth. No golden finger. The heroine is kind but not weak, and everyone has their own path. The moment she enters the palace, she realizes she has become a substitute for the white moonlight. The emperor's favor and the deep affection he shows her are all for that face of hers, so similar to another's. After the white moonlight enters the palace, everyone wonders how much longer she can remain in favor. The palace concubines: Wait, why are you still m 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 13 Schemes in the Inner Palace 深宫筳上谋 Slow burn + everyday life + no golden finger + ensemble cast, multiple female leads Only she knows how hard the climb from the bottom to the top was. The new emperor of the Da Qing dynasty ascended the throne. At eighteen, Xu Jingfei entered the palace as a fifth-rank consort and was assigned Guangyang Hall, the most remote part of Changle Palace. Her allowance was skimmed, and she never received her full monthly stipend. While the other consorts vied for favor, she crouched by the back window, 20Reads—Score100Shelves
- 14 The Legitimate Elder Sister Steals the Favor? Then She Can Die! Consort Lan Fears Nothing! 嫡姐夺宠？找死！兰嫔她无所惧！ [Palace intrigue + golden finger + no romance + career-driven heroine] In her previous life, Xu Qingqiu was forced to take the place of the legitimate daughter and enter the palace. With no connections to rely on, she ultimately died a miserable death in the harem. When she opens her eyes, she is back before the imperial selection. She knows that entering the palace is like stepping into a bottomless sea, and every step must be taken with the utmost care. She wants wealth and glory, a lofty stat 17Reads7.4Score—Shelves
- 15 The Entire Harem Is Cool as Chrysanthemums, So I Win the Emperor’s Heart by Outworking Them 后宫全员人淡如菊，我靠内卷独得帝心 [Transmigration + scheming beauty + palace intrigue + ambitious heroine who is focused on her career vs. perceptive but tight-lipped, cold emperor + clear-headed surrender] Su Yin transmigrated into the harem as the lowest-ranking palace woman. This harem seemed rather unusual. The emperor was handsome and refined, but all the concubines had given up and had no interest in competing for his favor. Each had her own reason for giving up. The empress was determined to become a virtuous ruler and en 173Reads8.0Score—Shelves
- 16 I Bound Myself to the Harem Wage-Slave System 我绑定了后宫打工仔系统 [Transmigration to an Alternate World + System Binding + Surviving the Imperial Harem] Qin Zhiwei's motto in life: Anything works. Sure. No problem. Other people fight for money and power in the palace. Qin Zhiwei fights... just to get off work. She transmigrates into an alternate-world imperial harem and binds to a points System. Her goal: save up ten thousand points and retire with honor! As a laid-back woman with steady emotions, she completes missions and exchanges points for items, all with 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 17 The Concubine's Daughter and the Legitimate Princess 庶女嫡妃 A modern business prodigy transmigrates into the body of the foolish illegitimate daughter of the prime minister's household. Faced with a divorce letter from Prince Rui and the household's taunts, she pulls out every trick in the book and fights back from the brink! Ruthless and brilliant, with a grace no one can match, she is utterly unlike her former self. Her transformation draws a parade of marriage proposals from the Shadow Demon Emperor, the bloodthirsty prince, and the arrogant general! 253Reads6.9Score—Shelves
- 18 A Sudden Breeze Stirs the Mandarin Ducks Along the Fragrant Path 风乍起，闲引鸳鸯香径里 Palace intrigue + not a mutually faithful couple + pure historical romance Qingyin once loved the emperor, but that was long ago. Now she only wants to live peacefully as his empress, yet he refuses to leave her alone. She has no idea why scumbags always pretend to be devoted. Qingyin thinks that if the emperor is no good, she can just replace him. Becoming the Empress Dowager herself might not be so bad. 7Reads—Score—Shelves
- 19 Reborn, Noble Consort Shu Wants Only Wealth and Glory 重生后，淑妃只想荣华富贵 [Reborn] [A heroine pursuing her ambitions] [Palace intrigue] [A clear-eyed heroine] Reborn, Xiao Qinglan finally saw how heartless the emperor was. The position of empress? She didn't want it anymore. The emperor loved someone else, and made her and Consort Rong fight until the heavens and earth were turned upside down, dragging both their families into the turmoil. To avoid the same fate as in her previous life, when her family was wiped out, Xiao Qinglan knew she had to give some things up. H 220Reads6.9Score—Shelves
- 20 After Tearing the White Lotus Apart, I Became the Sole Favorite of the Six Palaces 手撕白莲花后，我独宠六宫 When Su Momo entered the palace, she was merely a lowly Answering Lady. Her rivals mocked her, saying she would spend her whole life attending to ink and brushes. Later, her exquisite calligraphy amazed the entire harem. She won the Empress Dowager's protection and the emperor's exclusive favor. Those who had once mocked her fell to their knees and begged her forgiveness. 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 21 Surviving Day to Day in the Qing Dynasty 清穿之苟命日常 [Lifespan: 1 month] [Lifespan can be exchanged for vitality points] “Why do I only have one month to live?” Yituma Shushu was startled. [Ding! The original host's lifespan has run out. The Shop has advanced vitality points.] [Ding! Sign in every day to collect vitality points.] An alternate-universe Qing dynasty transmigration story with a golden finger, multiple children, no romance, no palace intrigue, and a slower pace. [Note: This novel takes place in a parallel universe.] A note about th 459Reads6.7Score—Shelves
- 22 Empresses in the Palace: For You 甄嬛传：怜卿 (Transmigration + a System for company + mostly watching from the sidelines + survival guide) When Lianqing opened her eyes, she found she had transmigrated into the world of Empresses in the Palace and been bound to a “useless System” that was nearly out of power. No shop, no redeemable items, and only three functions: surveillance, conversation, and entertainment. The useless System cheered her on: “Host, keep it up! Your mission is to survive for ten years within a designated area of the worl 17Reads—Score—Shelves
- 23 Who Says the Empress Is a White Lotus? She’s Clearly a Green Tea 谁说娘娘是白莲花？明明是绿茶 [All-around strong female lead, fiercely ambitious, no rebirth or transmigration, play the pig to eat the tiger, concubine-born daughter rises against the odds] Shen Yurong is the eldest daughter of the Shen family, and she has been beautiful since childhood. Her parents therefore had her study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as singing and dancing, hoping she would be chosen in the imperial consort selection and become a favored consort, bringing glory to the Shen family. Her p —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 24 The Noble Consort Has a Spirit Spring Space. How Can Anyone Compete with That? 贵妃她有灵泉空间，这谁斗得过？ (Transmigration + palace intrigue + one heroine with multiple love interests + spiritual spring space + strong heroine + becoming Empress Dowager) After killing more than twenty people, Ruan Yuxue took her own life right in front of the cops. But when she opened her eyes, she was in the Great Jing Dynasty. She'd transmigrated into the body of an orphan who was about to be sold into a brothel. No way was she putting up with that! She grabbed all the money in the house and ran. Who knew she'd stum 33.2kReads8.9Score4.6kShelves
- 25 I Transmigrated into the Harem, and the Fourth Calamity Is on a Killing Spree 穿进后宫，第四天灾已杀疯 [Transmigration + palace and household intrigue + System + scheming black lotus + face-slapping] After restarting for the third time, Li Huyi’s heart is already harder than the stones of the Cold Palace. Men are nothing but stepping-stones on her climb to the top. Especially the lofty emperor: he is both her ultimate conquest target and the perfect tool. [Ding! Special romance mission triggered: The Emperor’s Test!] [Mission description: Faced with his love and suspicion, make the perfect choice 14Reads—Score—Shelves
- 26 The Power Minister Is Moody and Venomous? The Reborn Concubine’s Daughter Has Him Wrapped Around Her Finger 权臣阴湿又毒？反被重生庶女拿捏 [Reborn for Revenge + Punishing Scum + Face-Slapping + Sweet Romance] Xia An knew she was a concubine-born daughter, so from childhood she showed respect to her principal mother and deference to her elder sister. She hid her talents, kept her head down, and behaved impeccably. She thought that would please her principal mother and bring peace to her branch of the family. But she was wrong. In the eyes of the wicked, she was nothing but an obedient lamb waiting to be slaughtered. At sixteen, her 5kReads8.8Score576Shelves
- 27 An Lingrong Is Reborn Knowing How It All Ends 知道大结局的安陵容重生后 With the words, “Consort Li has passed away,” An Lingrong’s tragic, hopeless life as a puppet came to an end. But those who take their own lives cannot move on. She watched helplessly as Zhen Huan and Ye Lanyi joined forces to poison the Emperor, putting the Fourth Prince, a son born to a servant, on the throne. After a lifetime spent under other people’s control, how could she accept that? When she opened her eyes again, it was just after the selection of consorts. With the advantage of knowing 30Reads9.2Score—Shelves
- 28 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
- 29 Tortured, Then Sweet 晚虐甜 [Ancient medicine expert transmigrates into a new body + never holds back in an argument + the ultimate overachiever in the transmigration world + unconventional heroine + expert at putting scheming green-tea girls in their place] Can you believe it? Shangguan Wan, a modern-day PhD in ancient medicine, opens her eyes and finds herself in ancient times! She was still worrying about how to survive in an unfamiliar dynasty using her medical skills when she ran straight into a tough opponent: Prince 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 30 Have a Child! Get a Raise! Become Empress Dowager! 生子！加薪！当太后！ [Transmigration + Palace Intrigue + A Heroine Who Treats the Concubine Harem as a Career and Becomes Empress Dowager + Support-Only System + Lighthearted Daily Life] One day, Xunzhen transmigrates into the body of a concubine-in-waiting and is utterly apprehensive. The harem is a place where those with low status have no say over their lives, while those with high status become targets for everyone. So she can only set herself one goal: climb to the rank of consort and at least make it into midd 14.1kReads8.7Score875Shelves
- 31 I Gave Birth to All Nine Princes, So Why Fight for the Throne? 九龙都是我生的，还夺什么嫡？ [Palace intrigue, promotion through the ranks, and having children, plus a useless System] Lin Wan is a well-known tasker from the Sea Star Planet. Eager to earn more points and take a vacation, Lin Wan throws herself into her work. When she opens her eyes again, she has transmigrated into the body of Ye Gulu Te Yuwan, a low-ranking concubine in Emperor Kangxi’s harem. Good news: each child earns five thousand points! Even better news: she has pills to help her conceive a son, a daughter, and ev 1kReads7.2Score124Shelves
- 32 The Beautiful Consort Loves to Put on a Show, and the Sly Emperor Loves Watching 娘娘貌美又爱演，皇上腹黑很爱看 [Willful legitimate daughter + loves acting + favored by the emperor + his one and only + palace intrigue + becomes empress] Having learned from her mother's example, Gu Yanran never showed anyone her true feelings. She relied on her acting skills to navigate those around her, escaping one den of wolves only to enter a tiger's lair. Helpless, she ended up in the palace... The emperor loved watching her act, but not when she acted for him. At their first meeting, the emperor looked at her and 203Reads6.9Score—Shelves
- 33 Transmigrated as Xia Dongchun, the Consort Who Can Really Have Babies 穿成夏冬春，娘娘特能生 A Qiu, a queen insect from beyond the stars, unexpectedly transmigrated into Xia Dongchun in Empresses in the Palace. Bound to a childbearing System, A Qiu decided to keep Xia Dongchun's identity and start having babies in Yongzheng's harem. The insect race worships fertility. We may not be good at anything else, but we're definitely good at having babies. Not only can we have them, we can have so many you'll be scared. What do we do with too many babies? Give them away! No one gets to leave the 367Reads7.2Score—Shelves
- 34 After Awakening to the Comments, the Cannon-Fodder Consort Rose to the Top 觉醒弹幕后，炮灰良娣扶摇直上了 [Live comments + underdog comeback + palace and household intrigue] Yan Siyu was an unfavored consort in the Eastern Palace, living cautiously under the protection of her good friend, the Crown Princess. When she was seven months pregnant, she took a fall and unexpectedly saw live comments revealing her fate. [She’ll die in childbirth, and both mother and child will perish] The person responsible for this fate was none other than the Crown Princess, the woman she had always trusted. She didn’t w 293Reads6.8Score—Shelves
- 35 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
- 36 Palace Intrigue's Winner: I Rise to Power by Raising Kids 宫斗赢家：我靠养崽上位 [Palace intrigue and childbirth, no golden finger, not a devoted couple] “Your Majesty, Ning Guiren's red mandarin-duck bellyband is still hanging from that scoundrel's belt!” Opening her eyes to such a shocking scene, Ning Yuxi immediately kicked the scoundrel aside and ran for it. Seriously, did she have a death wish, giving the emperor a cuckold's horns? An emperor who loves the throne more than beautiful women? No problem. Two children in three years? What's that? I'll have three in two! Wha 144Reads6.7Score—Shelves
- 37 Knowing the Subtle Truth 知情微 “The pawn strikes back X I enter the game in the name of a pawn, and I insist on playing against you.” [Replacement * no rebirth * no transmigration * high-stakes palace intrigue * everyone is wicked] What secrets lie buried in the past? What is the truth beneath the treacherous struggles of the imperial harem? One winter, Luo Zhiwei was separated from her family. The twelve-year-old Prince Cheng found her and brought her home. She couldn't remember who she was, where she came from, or where 74Reads—Score—Shelves
- 38 A Stunning Film Queen Possesses Someone in Another World, Masters Palace Intrigue, and Becomes Empress 绝美影后搞魂穿，玩转宫斗成皇后 [Powerful female lead transmigrates into another person's body + high-IQ palace intrigue + one woman takes on the entire harem + not both leads' first time] A stunning award-winning actress transmigrates into the body of a concubine-born girl who has been drugged with an aphrodisiac and is still expected to enter the palace. Entering the palace would be one thing, but her rank is low. Her rank being low would be one thing, but she has no money either. No matter. Sister Shen knows exactly what sh 226Reads6.4Score—Shelves
- 39 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
- 40 Consort Xian Reborn: Winning the Emperor's Favor at Every Turn 娴妃重生，步步为营宠冠六宫 In her previous life, her love had been one-sided. When she could bear it no longer, she cut her hair, giving a lock to the departed Yu Heng and Hongli. Reborn into another life, Ula Nara Yu Heng finally understood that surviving in the palace depended on far more than an emperor’s affection. Entering Hongli’s residence was a fate she could not escape. When she met him again, her eyes were full of longing for power. In the imperial harem, she became the strength of the Ula Nara clan. At the empe 76Reads7.0Score—Shelves
- 41 Executed for Killing Four Consorts, the Empress Is Reborn 连杀四妃被赐死，皇后娘娘重生了 [Not a story where both leads are romantically inexperienced] + [Palace and household intrigue] + [Reborn] + [Empress] + [Feel-good wish fulfillment] + [Past and present lives] + [Villain] + [Face-slapping] In her previous life, Zheng Xiyan was a wicked empress hated by everyone. She killed four consorts and ruled the harem, never realizing it was all part of Emperor Xiao Xuanchen's scheme. He used her to keep the court in balance while consolidating power in his own hands. Reborn, Zheng Xiyan d 274Reads6.7Score105Shelves
- 42 The Bewitching Consort Just Wants to Have Fun 妖妃她一心找乐子 [Big-hearted chaos-loving prankster ✖ sickly, scheming fake tyrant] [Two powerful, equally crazy leads] [Light political intrigue] [Both pure, one-on-one HE] [Alternate Tang dynasty] Linghu Jingfan was a nobody in the imperial harem. She stumbled into a high-stakes plot to assassinate the emperor, and after being reborn twice only to die horribly each time, she finally figured it out: Be a good person, and you die fast. Be a bad person, and you die slow. In her third life, she decided she was do 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 43 From Palace Maiden to Empress Dowager: The Beloved Consort Rules the Realm 从秀女到太后：娇娇娘娘母仪天下 Jiang Wanzhen was merely the daughter of a minor sixth-rank official, forced by circumstance to enter the imperial harem. Luckily, the emperor was young and handsome, so he wasn't too hard to stomach. The women in the harem were all cunning schemers, but Jiang Wanzhen fought her way through every obstacle, tore down paper tigers, and took on the fake sweethearts. She nursed her best friend, had children, and before she knew it, she had risen from an insignificant low-ranking consort to the most 100Reads8.5Score—Shelves
- 44 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
- 45 Yu Wujiao 玉无娇 Palace intrigue + clear-headed heroine + high intelligence and emotional intelligence + not an only-one relationship + no System or portable space + a heroine who grows over time (not a wish-fulfillment story), not blinded by love. After her parents and younger sister are brutally killed, Jiang Yuxin, daughter of a convicted minister, realizes that becoming a favored consort is the only way to change things. At nineteen, the emperor is at an age when he falls easily. He falls for one woman afte 281Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 46 The Fourth Prince's Cherished Sweetheart (A Qing Dynasty Transmigration) 四爷心尖小娇宠（清穿） She wakes up to find she’s transmigrated into the most popular era of the Qing Dynasty, and she’s just a young noblewoman who nearly died? Gu Lanzhi takes one look at her golden finger and knows she has nothing to worry about. Congratulations, you’ve claimed a cultivation marrow-cleansing pill from a red packet! Congratulations, you’ve claimed Su Daji’s secret bedroom arts from a red packet! Congratulations, you’ve claimed improved potato and sweet potato seeds… An ultra-sweet, feel-good story! 4.5kReads8.5Score373Shelves
- 47 A Harem Palace Survivor's Guide to Living to 120 人在后宫，只想活到120岁 The rating just came out, and it's really low ꈍ◡ꈍ #Quick transmigration heroine + multiple male leads + ends 1v1# Yun Jianxue died. Thanks to her accumulated good karma, she chose to become a civil servant in the Underworld. Calling it civil service is a bit of a stretch. In reality, she travels through various small worlds to complete missions. Along the way, it's inevitable that she attracts a few souls. Yun Jianxue swears: she really isn't doing it on purpose. 1.1kReads8.4Score100Shelves
- 48 The Empress Is Charming and Lively, and Wins the Emperor's Heart 娘娘娇媚灵动，惹得皇上心动 [Palace intrigue + sweet romance + not both leads’ first time + clear-headed heroine focused on living well + doesn’t love the emperor] Xiao Zhaoyuan asked with interest, “What do you usually like to do, my consort?” Cui Qingwan beamed. “I like eating, drinking, and having fun!” Sincerity really is a lethal weapon! Xiao Zhaoyuan couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. He had never met anyone so genuine. And yet this very genuine woman gradually claimed his heart. But then he realized that she 1.3kReads8.7Score100Shelves
- 49 Reborn in The Story of Ruyi: Life Is Better Without Being a Saint 重生如懿传不做圣母的日子好极了 1. Palace-intrigue novel, palace-intrigue novel, palace-intrigue novel. No romance. 2. No lovestruck fools, no lovestruck fools, no lovestruck fools. This applies only to certain characters. No saintly do-gooders, no saintly do-gooders. 3. A Ruyi reborn story. No plagiarism, no padding, quality comes first. There will be changes. It may not fully follow history, or it may not follow it at all. The reason: no plagiarism. Synopsis The Ruyi from "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace", who always conside 218Reads7.2Score—Shelves
- 50 A Palace Peril: The Consort Wants Power 深宫劫：娘娘要上位 [Palace intrigue ensemble + alternate setting + no transmigration or rebirth] The imperial palace is a stage, and everyone is putting on a show. Perform well, and you earn favor. Mess up, and anyone can walk all over you. Now that she has stepped onto the stage, she intends to become the star everyone applauds! (Reader beware: the pacing is slow, so don't start if that bothers you. The male lead is a scummy emperor, while the female lead only cares about her career. She will make a move against 122Reads5.3Score—Shelves
