Novels like The Night Emperor
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Night Emperor, best match first.
- 1 Night Songs of the Flourishing Tang 盛唐夜唱 This was the best of times, an age of unparalleled splendor and glory that left posterity with the name “Tang people.” This was the worst of times, with the fires of war on all four borders and the seeds of internal strife already taking deep root in the land. Who was it that came hurtling through the sky aboard a star raft, singing night after night across these boundless mountains and fields? With a single eloquent verse, he could conjure the entire High Tang! 0Votes2.7kRecs13.8kFans
- 2 Heavenly Official 天官 In the thirteenth year of the Zhengde era, the Zhengde Emperor of the capital personally leads a border inspection tour, Prince Ning of Nanchang plots rebellion, and the Prince of Anlu is obsessed with alchemy. At Xishan Temple outside Anlu Prefecture, a young monk appears. Returning to drift through the sea of desire, he begins to recite a scripture of illusion. The mortal world is a ferry crossing. Who is the player on the stage? Simply put, this is the story of a young monk who rises to be 0Votes144.9kRecs74.2kFans
- 3 Drunk on a Pillow Beneath the River and Mountains 醉枕江山 Empress Wu Zhao rules beneath the sun and moon, while Shangguan Wan'er weighs the affairs of the realm. Li Guo'er is more beautiful than any flower, and the Five Great Clans scheme against one another. Princess Taiping can find no peace, while the third son of the Li family is none other than Longji. Di Renjie, Zhang Yizhi, Feng Xiaobao... Talented men, lovely women, and rough-and-ready sorts! Red sleeves beckon, and wandering heroes roam beneath the skies of the Great Tang, Drunk, they rest the 0Votes2.9MRecs598.9kFans
- 4 The Imperial Clan 皇族 He is a lowborn son, a youth of mysterious origins, a veteran of ten years of commercial warfare, and a man indifferent to fame and fortune. In his previous life, he was utterly alone, with no one to rely on. In this life, he is a member of a prestigious imperial clan, surrounded by beautiful wives. With the dynasty in turmoil, five dragons vying for the throne, and the court locked in a sinister and hair-raising struggle, where should a lazy man like him go from here? Another brill 0Votes142.1kRecs132.8kFans
- 5 An Age of Great Strife 大争之世 Reborn as a young lord, Zhongni is still full of ambition, while Yanzi has grown old. Sun Wu has yet to finish his treatise on war, and the powerful Jin is on the verge of collapse amid the rivalries of its ministers... As a son, peerless in courage, he takes his revenge in a single stroke, shaking the world. What more could a great man ask for? Living in this age, gazing upon the vast reeds: where is the maiden by the autumn waters? In the mulberry grove by the city walls, the lovely girl waits 0Votes1.4MRecs485.8kFans
- 6 The Dashing Young Master 公子风流 He transmigrated into the body of a dissolute young master who knew all about romance and the ways of love. He couldn't play an instrument, but he knew how to woo a woman. Unfortunately, he ended up in the emperor's personal guard, the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Well, the pressure was immense. He'd have to put his conscience aside for now. His real job was to pick up a weapon and call a deer a horse. “The day I don the flying-fish robe and wield the embroidered spring saber will be the day I ris 0Votes148.4kRecs353.3kFans
- 7 Lotus Blossoms at Every Step 步步生莲 Yang Decheng, a community worker, unexpectedly returns to ancient times after doing his job conscientiously, becoming Ding Hao, the least favored illegitimate son of the Ding family. Without power or money, Ding Hao works as a carriage driver for his half-brother. His dream is to become a carefree young master in this wretched society and live out his days in peace. Though the dream seems distant, Ding Hao doesn't take it to heart. Drawing on the social experience he gained from community work, 8Votes4MRecs842.8kFans
- 8 The Prestigious Clan 名门 This is a Tang Empire that has taken a wrong turn, with imperial power in decline and the empire nearing its end. It is also an age when the empire and the great clans coexist. Fifteen years ago, the An Lushan Rebellion was finally put down. But the Uyghurs, seeing the Tang’s weakness, eyed the Central Plains, bringing their horses to its rivers and laying waste to its people. As the empire teetered on the brink, seven great clans joined forces to drive out the northern invaders and restore the 0Votes424.8kRecs363.5kFans
- 9 Brocade-Clad by Night 锦衣夜行 I was everywhere during the Jingnan Campaign, the reduction of the vassal princes, the capital’s relocation, the compilation of the great encyclopedia, the campaigns against the Mongols, and the expeditions to the South Seas, yet no one knew I was there. The whole world fit in my sleeve. I walked unseen in brocade, keeping a low profile. A low profile was the way to go. A convoluted line of inheritance and a fate passed down through generations, one over which he had no control, set the stage fo 5Votes3.1MRecs890kFans
- 10 The Foolish Emperor 昏君 Life putting too much pressure on you? Then come be a foolish emperor! Getting sneered at when looking for a job? Then come be a foolish emperor! Your boss exploiting you mercilessly? Then come be a foolish emperor! Housing prices too high to afford? Then come be a foolish emperor! No money to date your girlfriend? Then come be a foolish emperor! Stocks plunging all the way down? Then come be a foolish emperor! Your wife won't let you smoke? Then come be a foolish emperor! Our slogan is this: if 0Votes336.2kRecs161.2kFans
- 11 The Late Tang Dynasty 晚唐 The fourteenth year of the Xiantong reign of the Tang Dynasty, 873 AD. Emperor Yizong, the Tang Dynasty's seventeenth ruler, has died. As the empire basks in the setting sun, its new emperor, twelve-year-old Li Xuan, takes the throne as the eighteenth ruler, Emperor Xizong. At this point, only a few months remain before the private salt trader Wang Xianzhi raises an army against the Tang with ten commanders at his side. Another private salt trader, Huang Chao, who loves writing poems about chrys 0Votes113.7kRecs118.7kFans
- 12 The Legendary Playboy Young Master 传奇纨绔少爷 Fang Zheng, an ordinary college student, transmigrated into the body of a wealthy young wastrel in ancient times. He had no desire to change the world. He only wanted to enjoy life as a rich young master, but being too exceptional was a crime in itself. With his arrival, the world was quietly changing. See how the protagonist embarks on an uproariously funny life in ancient times, in a transmigration story unlike any other. This book has a lighthearted style (you could also call it humorous). It 0Votes126.5kRecs242.9kFans
- 13 The Great Official 大官人 In the ninth year of Yongle, the realm prospered. The nation was mighty, its people proud, and envoys from every corner of the world came to pay tribute! At a time like this, let me ask: who wouldn’t want to become a great official? 1Votes240.4kRecs232.7kFans
- 14 A Wife as Lovely as the Clouds 娇妻如云 The most artistically gifted thief in history transmigrates to the fourth year of Emperor Huizong's reign in the Northern Song dynasty. As a servant in the Duke of Qi's household, Shen Ao is having a grand time. Knowledge changes your fate, intelligence determines your future, and everything else is just so much fluff. Watch me rule it all with one hand. It's all about art and good taste: forge the world's finest paintings, write the most beautiful calligraphy, take the road less traveled. The r 0Votes146.2kRecs391.7kFans
- 15 The Treacherous Minister 奸臣 After a ridiculous misstep, Xu Xun, who had finally avenged his old grudge, found himself in the golden age of the Ming dynasty, five hundred years in the past. The realm was at peace. Jinling was enchanting, the capital imposing. The songs of Qinhuai and the dances of Huaiyang went on without end. Beneath the harmony of this prosperous age, loyal officials were everywhere, while ordinary people were treated worse than dogs. An orphan like him could barely take a single step, let alone find a wa 0Votes257.5kRecs148.6kFans
- 16 The World 天下 Return to the Tang dynasty and contend for supremacy. In the fifth year of the Tianbao era, the Tang dynasty had been established for more than a century. After decades of governing the country, Li Longji, now an old man who had lived long enough to know the will of Heaven, had grown weary. Ever since he made Yang his noble consort, his attention had gradually drifted away from the dull, tedious affairs of state. “Music and dancing fill the air, and the emperor can never get enough of the show.” 0Votes447.2kRecs454.9kFans
- 17 The Magistrate's Aide 刑名师爷 A coroner who transmigrates to the Ming Dynasty becomes a criminal case clerk at the county yamen and encounters all sorts of bizarre cases. He applies his knowledge of forensic investigation and deduction, carefully surveying scenes, meticulously examining evidence, and reasoning with precision. By following every clue and peeling back layer after layer of mystery, he finally brings the truth behind each strange case to light. 0Votes308.5kRecs358.6kFans
- 18 Back to the Ming Dynasty to Become a Battalion Commander 回到明朝做千户 A thousand-household commander unlike any other in history. A thousand-household commander hailed as the God of Wealth. A thousand-household commander with the best luck. A thousand-household commander adored by the people of the Ming dynasty. A thousand-household commander to whom the emperor owes tens of millions of taels of silver. A thousand-household commander whom friends and foes alike hope will live a long life! A crooked merchant returns to the Ming dynasty and unexpectedly takes over t 0Votes104.7kRecs178.6kFans
- 19 The Ming Dynasty's Prince 大明王侯 Is a live-in son-in-law from a merchant family destined to be a failure? The transmigrator Xiao Fan is a clear counterexample. In the twenty-ninth year of Hongwu in the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was old, the Crown Prince's heir was frail, and the Prince of Yan was making his move. That was the year Xiao Fan arrived. The tides of the world began to surge because of him. 0Votes125.1kRecs198.7kFans
- 20 Storm at the End of the Ming Dynasty 明末风暴 The fifth year of the Chongzhen reign. Yu Guozhen draws his blade: Whoever stands in the way of Huaxia’s advance will be shown no mercy! 0Votes149.7kRecs116.7kFans
- 21 The Rise of the High Tang 盛唐崛起 In the first year of the Shengli era, outside Changping County in Youzhou, the young Yang Shouwen is struck by lightning and the memories sealed away for seventeen years awaken. The sun and moon shine together. The Kaiyuan golden age is still a distant dream. Though the empress rules a seemingly peaceful land, turbulent undercurrents appear to be stirring beneath the surface. Chen Zi’ang, who climbed Youzhou Terrace and reflected on the vastness of heaven and earth; the brave and formidable, cle 2Votes1.2MRecs298.2kFans
- 22 Make My Name Known Across the Land 明扬天下 In the sixteenth year of Chongzhen’s reign, the land was truly in chaos: hooves fell like rain, shouts rolled like thunder, and blood poured in torrents. The Central Plains’ mothers grayed with worry; in the spring boudoirs of Jiangnan, women gazed into the distance; in Hunan, children wept through the night. Farewells beneath the willows of their hometowns, generals’ eyes blazing with fury, and war banners snapping in the northern wind. Clouds of dust rose one after another as the land of Huaxi 0Votes463kRecs230.9kFans
- 23 The Power 权柄 A man among men, through a joke played by fate, is transformed into a young hostage prince, thus raising the curtain on an imperial saga of conquest and glory: Countless loyal ministers and brilliant generals perform a stirring tale worthy of song and tears; Many beautiful women, bound by deep affection, complete a poignant and entwined romance; A measure of pure-hearted innocence preserves a magnificent celestial dynasty! To ensure everyone's reading enjoyment, I solemnly promise: 2Votes231kRecs692.4kFans
- 24 EN The Physician Who Rules the Realm 医统江山 A doctor who died of overwork in his previous life is reincarnated into the household of Da Kang's greatest traitor, possessing the body of an idiot boy who had been deaf and mute for sixteen years. Is this his good fortune or his misfortune? Having worked too hard in his past life, all he wants now is a beautiful wife, lovely concubines, and grandchildren gathered around his knees, living comfortably as a wealthy second-generation heir who muddles through each day. Yet he never expected his fam 2Votes2.2MRecs979kFans
- 25 The Dashing Scholar 士子风流 Having pored over the sages' books, one may ascend to the emperor's court by dusk. This is the golden age of scholars. With the emperor's sword in hand and a beauty at his side, Xu Qian enters an age of romance and adventure. Songs and dances fill the air; fortunes are squandered in a single night. Along both banks of the Qinhuai River, there is no end to the tales of romance. Success in the imperial examinations, a heart soaring with ambition, and a chance to shape the realm: there is no end to 0Votes155kRecs130.5kFans
- 26 Nobody Better Mess With Me 谁都别惹我 To keep them from falling on the little kids, I generously took them in... 0Votes19.6kRecs64.3kFans
- 27 The Hegemony of Shu 霸蜀 Reborn as Wei Yan's son, he will dominate the Three Kingdoms era's final chapter! Within, there is Zhuge Liang, so clever he seems almost demonic. Without, there is Sima Yi, the greatest schemer of the Three Kingdoms, as well as the emperor of Eastern Wu, sometimes friend and sometimes foe. A surprise attack through the Ziwu Valley, three battles to seize Jingzhou, a lone horse to pacify Jiangnan, a thousand cavalry sweeping across Hebei, subduing Wu, destroying Wei, and making Shu supreme. Watc 0Votes218.8kRecs137.2kFans
- 28 Song Shixing 宋时行 In the sixth year of the Xuanhe era, he arrived in Tokyo, the city of Bianliang! With two years still to go before the Jingkang Incident, Yu Yin stood by the Wuzhang River, bewildered and at a loss. Was the splendor of Tokyo real, or just an illusion? As the great empire tottered on the brink of collapse, people drowned themselves in pleasure, while the streets brimmed with prosperity... Yu Yin stumbled through this world on the verge of ruin. When he suddenly looked back, he discovered that his 0Votes536.6kRecs278kFans
- 29 Return to the Ming Dynasty as a Prince 回到明朝当王爷 [The animated adaptation, The Beacon Fire of March, is now airing] Through a series of mishaps, Zheng Shaopeng, a well-meaning fool for nine lifetimes, finds himself back in the Zhengde era of the Ming dynasty. It is a colorful age, filled with the wickedness of the Eight Tigers of the capital, the romantic flair of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan, the teachings of the great Confucian Wang Yangming, and the absurd antics of the Zhengde Emperor, Zhu Houzhao. Having stumbled into this world in 11Votes5.2MRecs2.3MFans
- 30 A Good Husband in the Ming Dynasty 明朝好丈夫 I know things, I'm cultured, I can heal, and I can kill. I'm passionate, wicked, powerful, and damn impressive. I'm a Brocade Guard, a live-in son-in-law, an imperial bodyguard, and the crown prince's mentor. I'm just me: a good husband and a powerful minister. I made the Zhengde era more colorful and more exciting. 0Votes165.3kRecs317.5kFans
- 31 The Fierce General 悍戚 I would gladly lead the finest cavalry under heaven across these vast lands. For a warrior, dying on the battlefield, wrapped in his horse’s hide, is a worthy end! In the name of Liu Chuang, imperial uncle of the Great Han, I will trample flat any obstacle ahead, be it a mountain of blades or a sea of fire! I am Liu Chuang. This is my story! +++++++++++++++++++++++++ The final installment of the Three Kingdoms trilogy, The Fierce Warrior, makes its grand debut in 2013. Let’s revisit that age of 0Votes834kRecs219.6kFans
- 32 The Carefree Marquis 逍遥侯 Li Zhongyi was once the greatest traditional Chinese doctor alive. After a car accident, he found himself in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, inhabiting the body of a good-for-nothing who was too inept to pass the civil service exams or wield a blade! At the time, the child emperor Shi Jingtang had only recently sold the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Meng Chang, ruler of Later Shu, was enjoying himself with Lady Huarui. Li Yu, the last ruler of Southern Tang, was still singing “Song 0Votes246kRecs146.1kFans
- 33 Blood Will Tell 将血 Have you not seen Han Zhongjun, who at twenty bound a captive and asked for a long tassel to seize the enemy? Have you not seen Ban Dingyuan, who led light cavalry into distant lands and stirred up the clouds of war? A true man should dare to face danger, not let his scholar’s robes ruin his life. With the nation teetering on the brink, urgent dispatches race back and forth without pause! Zhao Shi’s life was destined to be spent amid slaughter and bloodshed. From the vast northern deserts to the 0Votes501.5kRecs236.4kFans
- 34 A First-Rank Empire 一品江山 In the spring of the fifth year of Qingli, Fan Wenzheng's reform of the New Policies had failed, and Fu Bi was demoted along with him. Teng Zijing rebuilt Yueyang Tower, Ouyang Xiu drank himself into a stupor, Han Xianggong remained tall, handsome, and rich, and Wen Yanbo had become thoroughly extraordinary. Di Qing became the idol of the Great Song's underclass, while the Obstinate Chancellor and Sima Niu had only just entered the workforce. Justice Bao was not yet qualified to preside over Kai 1Votes634.5kRecs337.9kFans
- 35 The Hypocrite of the Ming Dynasty 明朝伪君子 Emperor Xiaozong revived the Ming dynasty, while the wayward young Zhengde lived a life of reckless indulgence. Scholars spoke passionately about governing the realm, and the imperial secret police prowled like tigers and wolves. In an age where opportunity and danger went hand in hand, amid the bustle of the Ming dynasty at its height, a young man named Qin Kan sent ripples across the waters. When he began doing as he pleased with elegant, refined grace, the Ming dynasty's civil officials, gene 0Votes413.3kRecs329.8kFans
- 36 Thieving on Heaven's Behalf 替天行盗 The wind has no form, yet I desire to hunt the wind! Roaming proudly across the Nine Provinces, I shall steal on Heaven's behalf! A colossal bronze coffin floats above a secluded valley, while a woman in red has slept for a thousand years. In the underground palace beneath the vast sea, the stars shift and the earth turns. In the ice sea, the spirits of a sunken ship refuse to fade. As dynasties change and centuries turn, a world-shaking storm suddenly sweeps across the Divine Land. Heroes rise 0Votes1.1MRecs328.7kFans
- 37 The Mad God 狂神 This story takes place in a war-torn world. Many races live on the Jin Yuan Continent, with the humans, demons, and orcs among the most powerful. For centuries, war has raged without end as they fight for more land and resources. Our protagonist is a person, or perhaps a demon, born of this chaotic age. 0Votes365kRecs681.5kFans
- 38 My Wife Fell in Love with Me 老婆爱上我 The highest art of picking up women is picking up your own wife! Special forces captain Liu Qing and his new bride go from strangers to trusting each other, one step at a time. Come and savor all the twists and turns of their story! 0Votes1.4MRecs542.8kFans
- 39 Usurping the Tang 篡唐 Born into a world in turmoil, with a mysterious past. I never sought wealth and power, but wealth and power came looking for me... Come see a modern man’s tale set in the Sui and Tang dynasties! There will be grudges and romance, warhorses and weapons, and countless tales of passion... Geng Xin’s new novel for 2010, Usurping Tang, makes its grand debut. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 0Votes383.2kRecs379.6kFans
- 40 A Ming Dynasty Warrior 大明武夫 Zhao Jin had lived an ordinary life, never imagining that he would get a new beginning at the end of the Ming dynasty. He is determined to make a name for himself in history. With the spear in his hand, he will pacify a realm stretching ten thousand li. This is the Ming Dynasty Warrior. 0Votes181.3kRecs132.5kFans
- 41 The Tang Dynasty’s First Manor 大唐第一庄 Li Yuanxing, a modern-day layabout who never even got his high school diploma, transmigrates. He transmigrates while mourning a brother he never got to meet one last time, arriving in the Tang dynasty three days after the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Li Shimin looks like his late brother, while Li Yuanxing looks like Li Shimin’s younger brother, Li Yuanba, who died before reaching adulthood. Li Yuanxing becomes the Fifth Son, Li Shimin’s younger brother! On the very day Li Shimin ascends the throne, Li 0Votes194.9kRecs164kFans
- 42 Striving in the New Ming Dynasty 奋斗在新明朝 A geeky humanities student transmigrates to a baffling version of the Ming Dynasty. He starts at the very bottom as a crude little yamen runner, with no hope of passing the imperial examinations. Let’s see how our protagonist happily carves out an unconventional path to success from the bustling streets. Along the way, we’ll uncover all sorts of rules governing the Ming bureaucracy! New blurb: This is a serious work grounded in history and fact, with rigorous logic and precise details. Well, mor 0Votes225.8kRecs288.8kFans
- 43 The Embroidered Uniform Guards Rule the Realm 锦衣当国 Wang Tong, a modern office worker, dies of illness and arrives in the early years of the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty. This is the Ming's finest age, and also the last of its glory. As the son of a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, what can Wang Tong do? What can he change? The moment he appears, the river of time changes course… 0Votes570.5kRecs655.4kFans
- 44 The Commoner Chancellor 寒门首辅 (This book was shortlisted for the 2016 Xingchuang Award in the Historical Fiction category!) In the fifth year of Hongzhi, Xu Pu was riding high as chief grand secretary, while Li Dongyang had just begun his career as an examiner for the metropolitan examination. Liu Jian had risen to become a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, while Xie Qian had yet to join the cabinet and earn a reputation as a worthy minister. Yang Tinghe was ordered to help compile the Veritable Records of Emperor Xia 0Votes229kRecs98.1kFans
- 45 The Commercial Three Kingdoms 商业三国 Preface (serving as the blurb): A merchant who used to be a teacher and three of his teacher friends travel through time to the Three Kingdoms era while exploring Shennongjia. (Yes, it’s a cliché. Nothing I can do about that. If you’re unhappy, throw your votes at me. -_-) Dissatisfied with the state of China at the time, they are deeply worried about the coming era of the Five Barbarians ravaging China. To spare the Han people 300 years of suffering, they rise amid the chaos and establish a nat 0Votes1.3MRecs376.4kFans
- 46 Song of Everlasting Joy 长乐歌 A century of history, yet sorrow still abounds; I remember the Marquis of Changle from long ago. His hall was fragrant with flowers and thronged by three thousand guests; one sword’s frost chilled fifty provinces! Does Heaven know the ills of this mortal world? The green hills laugh at me, while the clouds beckon. I breathe in a beauty’s fragrance among the flowers, and beneath the moon I lightly sever my enemies’ heads! Victory, defeat, gratitude, and vengeance, all poured into a heart-rending 0Votes520.2kRecs169.5kFans
- 47 The Royal Entertainment Guide 皇家娱乐指南 [A work signed by Qidian’s Fourth Editorial Team] The five great pleasures in life: To see all the world’s beauty, hear its wondrous music, dress in fine and colorful clothes, and enjoy clever, delightful conversation: this is the first pleasure. To feast in a grand hall, listen to music in the rooms behind it, and welcome a house full of guests amid drifting shadows of flowers and flowing robes: this is the second pleasure. To have a tower filled with books, gather more than ten kindred friends 0Votes285.8kRecs370.1kFans
- 48 War Map of the Realm 江山战图 War fires rise at the end of the Sui, and heroes emerge from the borderlands. Dou Jiande, the Heavenly King of Hebei, battles the Vajra on a snowy night; The secretive hero of Wagang turns on his own and kills Zhai Rang. The treacherous hero Yuwen conspires with Lady Xiao to assassinate the sovereign; Li Erlang of Chang'an fights the King of Luoyang twice. The Xiao Liang Emperor of Baling crosses the river to seize Jing and Xiang; Du Fuwei of the southeast calls himself the Wolf of Jianghuai. Gr 0Votes391.5kRecs157.3kFans
- 49 The Splendor of the High Tang 盛唐风月 I recall the glorious days of Kaiyuan, when even small towns held thousands of households. Rice gleamed with fat, millet was white, and public and private granaries alike were full. In the fourth year of Kaiyuan, the Tang Empire stood at the height of its power, and the capital, Chang'an, was the world's most prosperous city, bar none. Yao Chong, Song Jing, Li Bai, Wang Wei, Zhang Xu, Wu Daozi, Yan Zhenqing, Gongsun Daniang, Pei Min, Guo Ziyi... The skies of the High Tang were bright with stars. 0Votes50.6kRecs80.3kFans
- 50 EN Blood Song of the Three Realms 三界血歌 The source of all realms, the root of all laws. Human nature is evil, so harsh laws are needed to restrain it. Evil laws are shackles, blocking my way home and my path to the heavens. With the blood of all living beings, let blood become a blade, shatter the shackles, and attain great freedom. 1Votes1.2MRecs555.7kFans
