Fei Pin Ying Qiang

Description

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The journey of a generation’s male empress started because of four words.

“Send a dowry escort.”

During the 19th year of the Yuanqing Era, Qi Yunruo boarded a carriage and entered through a corner door of the second prince’s estate. Then, across the watery corridor, he gazed at the prince from afar.

———

The promotional record of a young teen married off as part of his legitimate sister’s dowry.

From two people who never met before to two people who could understand each other’s thoughts by just a glance.

There’s a type of happiness sparked when the most suitable people meet in the most suitable place.

Notes:
In order for aristocratic women in imperial China to marry into a family part of the upper nobility, they must be of the legitimate line and must also have a dowry escort that married into that family. That escort would be a “ying” (媵) and could be considered a concubine.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Phi Tần Dắng Tường
The Promotional Record of a Male Consort
妃嫔媵嬙
妃嬪媵嬙
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Rich And Honorable ChangAn (4)
Didn’t Love You Enough (4)
Eight Treasures Trousseau (2)
To Be A Virtuous Wife (2)
Sharing Rain and Dew (2)
Remarried Empress (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Reading Shelf
  2. Read again and again
  3. Comp -- Gay -- Asian
  4. Historical/ancient setting danmei - rating 4+
  5. Novels in 2024 and 2025

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72 Reviews sorted by


bunnydesuuu
bunnydesuuu rated it
July 30, 2021
Status: Completed
Simple and refreshing yet realistic take on 2 lonely boys in a historical setting. Despite part of the plot being the expected palace drama, it was neither over-dramatic or very scheming. No r*pe either. Not only that, we got to see our MC grow from an innocent but sad, lonely boy who was used as a tool and treated like tr*sh, to a strong well-read man who can stand on his two feet. His unwavering morals and support for ML was the ultimate tipping point that made this novel sweet... more>> and touching at the same time. ML was also a good prince and man; although he did have kids with the other consorts as was his duty as a prince, in the end, he was loyal towards MC and was also unwavering in his belief in MC. He also gave MC a choice multiple times to leave him since he knew that the road ahead would be tough.

Overall, super nice and refreshing historical novel with brave boys, strong woman and some small scheming selfish nasties. <<less
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LittleFlowerMJ
LittleFlowerMJ rated it
July 26, 2021
Status: Completed
Just wanna say that it's the first and maybe the only historical novel with a harem setting that I really liked so far. Also, other reviews worried me for nothing. In my opinion, everything the ML does that made him "unfaithful" in the eyes of some readers are understandable, when looking at the story in the lense of the people who lived their era/time. Those other bad reviews complaining in this department are just bitter, sorry your ML is no longer innocent/pure/single when he got together with MC early on.... more>> Eventually they should have accepted the fact that he had duties as a prince and a husband to his political marriages. With that aside, I know ML is not perfect but I appreciated when he admitted to his feelings of love and became loyal to MC. That respect was what I needed to see from him after everything coz MC deserves more or better. Well I came to read this novel expecting all the troubles MC will go through inside the harem so I have no complains XD

In the end, I was looking for drama and this novel delivered! All I can say is that it was a thrilling read, and I loved it. I recommend to just go ahead and read the novel, take these comments with a grain of salt, especially from those who were only halfway the story. Whether this may suit your taste or not, I promise it's worth a try. <<less
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karien_91
karien_91 rated it
July 24, 2020
Status: --
I really like the characters from MC. He is very mysterious. Although their love journey is very slow, but this novel really shows the reality of life.
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sunnyeggsy
sunnyeggsy rated it
July 4, 2020
Status: c51
So good that I attempted to MTL. (but I gave up after the first line since I got so spoiled with the wonderful translating job, thank you Sleepchaser!)

As compared to most already strong-to-begin-with-MCs, this MC's honest and straightforward personality was very refreshing. The lack of power + bullying catfight drama that often happens in harems felt more realistic as a result of that. The plot of the novel unfolds itself a little late in the story, but it's still enjoyable to see how the MC and ML grow to... more>> cherish each other.

Most of the MC's thoughts and emotions are concealed and there are some parts where I would be left wondering at why MC reacted that way... but I find that intriguing in a good way. There are also many names/titles in the novel that often got me a little confused but the translator did up a neat and helpful little character list page.

My only regret is that I've discovered this without it being completely translated and now I have to wait... (;´∩`;) <<less
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Alta
Alta
April 24, 2020
Status: v2c40
Interesting premise and good start. But the pace and flow is off beat. Characterization is also muddled with characters just seeming one-dimensional.

It starts off well with a rags-to-riches promise wherein our lonely oppressed unloved MC will have a chance to shine and show his talents after being noticed by the powerful ML.

However, the flow is either too slow or highly unconventional in a bad way. There is a habit of introducing conflicts and plot points but then suddenly dropping them and moving on to another one. And it makes for... more>> a very frustrating read because nothing so far gets satisfactorily resolved.

Now, I'm only at Chapter 40. I know this is relatively early on but the list of dropped conflicts and halted plot points is too much to bear at this point. Some of them do get resolved but in a way that it seems like a footnote within another conflict than a climax-resolution scene on its own. Most of the time, the response is either to be forgotten or shrugged off as "can't do sh*t about it"

Spoiler

Xiao Qi when gets to shine as being responsible for management of the household but his efforts and dedication just gets glossed over with a few sentences of praise and little personal pay off. When Xiao Qi would either have to gain a foothold in the household or duke it out with the concubines, he gets whisked off to war. In the military camp he finds out about his past and resolves to solve them but war happens and he's captured. He's captured but when his captors run into trouble and are at danger of losing power, so he helps them out and is involved in a political drama that unfolds in a fraction of the time that the politics with Li Chen had to be built-up.

[collapse]

BTW No explicit intimate scenes. Just probably 1-2 sentences about touching then fade to black. <<less
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dreampop
dreampop rated it
June 21, 2023
Status: --
Loved This story, it narrated a realistic life of how in ancient times, even among families n siblings, everyone will fight n harm each other all because of the hunger for power.

conspiracies abound everywhere n it’s not easy to know who’s good, who’s bad n who is loyal. It’s truly rare to be able to have someone loving another whole heartedly n sincerely with no thoughts of having vested interest for personal gain. It’s just love in simplicity, pure n honest 💜💜💜
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Rui_Shirohana
Rui_Shirohana rated it
February 22, 2023
Status: c64
I actually like this. It's realistic. Really realistic. You have to have a deep understanding of history and know how rules, culture, and etiquette are in the ancient times.

Homosexuality was a big taboo subject for relationships during those times so reading this WILL make you feel disappointed because it doesn't give you much sunshine and butterflies.

Our MC and ML act just like how they are supposed to during that time period.

We have a prince who knows he needs children to expand his bloodline and still respects his wives out of... more>> duty and understands that if he acts selfishly, his reputation and identity will be ruined so he always needs to be careful.

We have an MC who is a child born of an affair that suffers the consequence of their parent's actions. He didn't ask to be born but here he is. He was wasting away because no one loves him much less acknowledge his existence but meeting the ML made his future opportunities endless.

What I really love about this is they have a mutual understanding of each other and always have each other's back. It was love at first sight for ML but it was a slow burn love for MC. If you guys want a realistic look at love in Ancient times, this is a good recommendation for me. <<less
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Leviathan.James
Leviathan.James rated it
December 19, 2022
Status: c35
This is my first time writing a review on NU for a book I didn't finish. However, I just can't bring myself to keep reading it. It's not that there's anything glaringly wrong with it at this point in the story (about the half-way point), it's just that I really don't like the main character or the relationship he has with the ML.

The MC is a stereotypical "damsel in distress." I was sympathetic with him at first, after all he had a really rough childhood. However, while it's okay for... more>> a character to be beaten and downtrodden at the beginning of a story, I expect them to grow into an independent and self-sufficient character by the mid-way point. That hasn't happened in this book. By chapter 35, the MC is still just as pathetic as he was at the beginning. It's difficult for me to articulate just how much I dislike him. He plays the pitiful victim in nearly every situation, getting bullied by practically everyone for virtually no reason while waiting for his prince to rescue him because he's too helpless to handle it himself. It was all right at the beginning, but as this cycle just kept spinning it got infuriating very quickly. We're supposed to believe the MC is intelligent, but the only time we see that is when he did clerical/managerial work for a very brief period of time. Other than that, he never displays any sort of intelligence. If the author wanted us to believe he was intelligent, he should have devised a way to handle his bullies that didn't involve tearfully waiting for his savior. Sure, you could argue that would make him more manipulative like the other harem members, but he's already manipulating the ML by playing the victim all the time so what's the difference? I have a powerful (negative) visceral reaction to this character to the point that I can't even force myself to keep reading about his "adventures." In short, the MC lacks forward momentum as a character and I just don't find that appealing.

I like the ML more. You can kind of see why he falls for the MC, but the things he believes about the MC (the thinks he likes about the MC) are not characteristics that the MC genuinely has. The MC is putting up a front all the time in order to survive in the harem and the ML likes the front. If the ML knew the MC's true personality, I think the only thing he would actually like about him is that he's not as manipulative as the other harem members.

As for their relationship... I'm not a fan. Honestly, it felt to me like they were poorly matched for each other and the only reason they're a couple is due to convenience. That convenience being that the MC is the only male in the harem, the ML prefers males over females, and since the MC is in the harem it's easier to see him than to go to a brothel. In my opinion, Jin Huan would have been a better match for the ML. He and the ML actually had shared interests, enjoyed spending time together, and saw each other as more-or-less equals.

I also found it jarring how quickly the MC "fell for" the ML. Their first time having s*x, the MC was scared and obviously reluctant. He only did it because the ML outranked him and wanted it. He didn't have a choice but to go along with it. However, the next night, the ML touched him and the MC felt joy. There was literally no transition from I don't want this to I'm overjoyed to be touched by the ML. If the author had put in some reflection on the experience, like maybe saying it was really good and the MC would be okay with doing it again, that would be one thing. However, there was none of that. It just jumped straight from "I'm an unwilling partner" to "I'm so happy to be with you." I just found that so jarring and difficult to follow. I honestly don't know what triggered this change in the MC which made it extremely difficult to try to relate to and understand the MC.

All of that being said, the plot itself isn't bad. I found the harem drama interesting as this was my first time reading a harem novel. I'd never even heard of a dowry escort before so I learned something from this novel. It's just that I can't stomach the MC.

I'll end this review with one more thought. I haven't finished the novel so I don't know for sure if the ML disbands his harem at the end of the book like some of the reviews say, however, I hope he doesn't. While it's a romantic sentiment to disband the harem and be monogamous with the MC, doing so would literally destroy the lives of the women in the harem. Do you think they could just go home and live their lives to the fullest after being booted from the prince's harem? No. They'd be lucky if their families even took them back. If the ML is really so cruel as to ruin the lives of the people he's responsible for, then he's a piece of tr*sh. Rather than disband the harem, he has a responsibility to keep them and care for them, even if he never sees them again. He can still be monogamous with the MC, but disbanding the harem is irresponsible and cruel.

Anyway, now that I've gotten those thoughts off my mind, I'm off to find something more to my taste to read. If I ever come back and finish this novel, I'll edit this review to reflect my thoughts upon completion. <<less
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Novel Crazy
Novel Crazy rated it
December 18, 2021
Status: Completed
This novel is very different from other novels..I really liked the storyline, plots and twists..I wish if there could be more chapters.. I really liked little Qi very much.. ML is also good.. The grand empress dowager Lan is also one of my favourite characters..I really liked it..I wish if there are more chapters or extras..
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Grenskee
Grenskee rated it
December 6, 2021
Status: Completed
I really loved it, finally a historical novel where the emperor to be was not a domineering a**! The story also managed to stay more or less realistic, so refreshing! The MC is absolutely adorable, thoughtful, kind and somewhat ruthless to his enemies, he is such a well written and loveable character! Definitely a recommended read.
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ladyxxx
ladyxxx rated it
October 18, 2021
Status: c77
Love this so much! I took a leave from work because I didn't want to stop reading lmao. I love the character development of little qi, from a bullied illegitimate son to the empress that he is 😭👍
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lian lian
lian lian rated it
September 26, 2021
Status: Completed
an engaging story, describing a gradual and realistic path of a male consort becoming a male empress. To think of all the unfairness that happens to xiao qi because of his family, really makes one want to strangle those characters in the story. The love story is sweet, with no misunderstandings and more trust between the couple. The palace drama is extensively described in this story but being just 77 chapters, the story is fast spaced and interesting.
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Reyleisha
Reyleisha rated it
August 15, 2021
Status: c77 part2
Rating: 3/5- This was a nice story, but the harem drama was a bit too much for me.

Overall it was enjoyable. The character dynamics were a bit bland and the palace drama was also a little less interesting. I was quite annoyed by such 1D female characters. The harem grew annoying fast.

The leads were not well written overall. It felt a bit unnatural.

It’s not a terrible book, but it’s not remarkable either.
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Smtha
Smtha rated it
June 4, 2021
Status: Completed
A very well written story. I feel it’s abit like Doom to be a canon fodder, minus the supernatural or opness. The story is actually quite realistic. The ML is a prince, and he is intelligent and no op. His setting is true to his timeline, and of course with a quite noisy backyard. He is a good father and actually quite a good lord to his wifes (only most of those wifes kinda, like those days always scheming and low eq) albeit what happened to them is expected.... more>> MC is at first low self esteem cinnamon roll, he also very intelligent and diligent (must protect!!) And later courageous and so devoted.
The whole plot is actually quite light, not much dog blood, and the words is not elaborate, even some events just a footnote, lol. Which a good fast read. The fluff is quite chaste, hiah (so pure) heck even a kiss only described on eye or forehead! the bedroom scene where just cut of to next morning. (if no written there are traces of red mark somewhere you won’t know the just done the deeds..... but anyway its a good read, kinda wish for more, or maybe a side for brother Ji, or more lovey dovey days, but this is a light read, so. Thank you <<less
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Tamarrion
Tamarrion rated it
October 23, 2020
Status: v1c23
The story is good, MC is sweet. But I haven't read much of harem stories before, and oh whose poor jailed women of ML house. If I got in this situation, I would go crazy much sooner than princess consort.
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ikitty03
ikitty03 rated it
August 10, 2020
Status: c44
The story start of confusing of who was who. There is too many characters. Later is talk about the MC and ML but there no s*x scenes. This isn’t yaoi. The story is mostly about the support roles which I’m not into. The novel is similar to a cdrama. I wasn’t looking for in an novel like this. There isn’t any new novel about the main couple and their life together. No one translated novel like that I’m looking for.
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bosi_jp
bosi_jp rated it
January 27, 2024
Status: Completed
I'm more inclined to give this novel 2.5 than 3 because I felt the whole story was somehow flat. Though the premise of the prince falling in love, not with his new wife but with her dowry escort i.e. Brother, seemed interesting, I didn't find it at the end very emotionally engaging. And that was my main issue with the book. Maybe the author wanted to touch too many subjects (harem, main romance, external politics, betrayals, etc.) and that left everything a bit superficial? I don't know.

ML found MC interesting... more>> from the very first encounter, but his deeper feelings developed later. While the story says why he wanted MC and we know when he started loving him, I didn't really feel any of that. I still don't know why is MC special (sure, the author says he is beautiful, intelligent, etc.)., but I feel MC needs more meat on the bone. I can only believe he developed luck after meeting the prince (e.g., he found something by accident, he met someone by accident, etc.).

I didn't find ML dislikable, but I also didn't find him interesting. There isn't much to say about him.

Finally, I prefer when there isn't a huge power imbalance between MC and ML. This novel has that. Actually, it reminded me more of hetero romance books than danmei. <<less
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Dinith.H
Dinith.H rated it
January 4, 2024
Status: --
Quite a wholesome read for the era it's set in. I initially wasn't keen on reading this novel as it was a slow start but loved it in the end and have read it twice already.

Would definitely recommend giving it a try!
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ulf6503
ulf6503 rated it
December 15, 2023
Status: Completed
The MC/ML are well written characters and storyline is good. Read it in less than 2 days and worth the sleepless nights. Well translated. Thank you author and translators.
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heartlessbambi
heartlessbambi rated it
November 23, 2023
Status: Completed
This book was better than expected!!!

The most commendable thing about this book is character development. The MC was very naive and weak at the beginning of the novel. But later, with the help of the ML who took care of him considerately, he got the chance to grow up into a fine young man who is very smart and capable.

There were quite a bit of inner palace drama which put the MC in an awkward position and his identity as a male concubine was like a shackle binding him, but... more>> the MC clearly knew what he wanted and accepted his role, without minding all the mocking words, because he truly recognized ML as the person who sincerely cared and loved him. It is not wrong to say MC was also behind the achievements of the ML.

The ending was very satisfying. Recommend this book to read! <<less
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