Scheme of the Official Descendant

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Although Ren Yaoqi broke away from the fetters of her family in her previous lifetime, as she erroneously believed in her blood-relatives’ speech and views about sacrificing everything for the family’s interest, it ultimately led to her Elder Sister self-immolating in the army camp, her Mother passing away early with tears in her eyes and her Father dying with his blood splattered under the sword……

When she was reborn to her younger times, she swore that she would chop away all the sharp claws which intended to control her own life.

Her father’s concubine who has some sinister motives, the cruel and unscrupulous elders, the aggressive foreign enemies and the surreptitious behaviors of harming people from the secret corners in the court……

She will expose their painted skins of disguise one by one, and strive for a life of happiness and peace for herself and those she loves.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Di Mou
嫡谋
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage (4)
Delicate Flower (3)
Chu Wang Fei (1)
To Be A Virtuous Wife (1)
Chang’an’s First Beauty (1)
Who Cares (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Strong Female Protagonists
  2. Reborn in Ancient China
  3. Badass, capable, intelligent FMCs I absolutely ADO...
  4. TBR Books
  5. Big brained Fls

Latest Release

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01/30/24 SleepyAutumn Production c178
01/29/24 SleepyAutumn Production c177
01/28/24 SleepyAutumn Production c176
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38 Reviews sorted by


Sldomerique
New Sldomerique rated it
April 30, 2025
Status: --
The plot felt overly messy and convoluted for my taste, making it hard to stay engaged. There were just too many characters and names introduced too quickly, which made the story difficult to follow. It might appeal to readers who enjoy complex narratives, but it wasn’t a good fit for me.
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Ecirteab
Ecirteab
September 5, 2020
Status: c162
For a novel as intriguing and well done as this, I'm surprised there's no review. Di Mou's summary appears to be the typical rebirth revenge novel at first but as the story goes on, at the heart of it is - conspiracy.

There's a refreshing sense of realism in Di Mou and every character feels like they have their own agenda. It really quietly slides you into the mind of Yaoqi, our MC, who despite her rebirth is very well aware of how insignificant she is as boudoir girl. Yaoqi is... more>> not all knowing, her rebirth serves more as a temperament and to tear away the veil of deceit all aristocratic families wield. Shes aware of some future knowledge and uses it to her limited capabilities but as she soon begins to realise there's a lot more undercurrent than she was privy to.

You never once feel that she's a caricature of a character. Y'know OP revenge protag who has every scheme in the world directed at her and cruelly retaliates. Yaoqi wants revenge but she's not overboard and very self aware. She won't pick battles she can't fight and is trying to also avert tragedy in the meantime. She's very refreshingly human, no weird cruel torture no extreme judgement on every person who did one lil mean thing. Yaoqi had a brain and you can tell she uses it.

One thing I really enjoyed that I initially didn't is the scheming. It's tiring at first with the long info dumps on so and so family but as the story goes on, more and more mysteries are revealed and there's an anticipation mixed with dread as you have your own thoughts about the various conspiracies. It's also really nice that everyone is kinda scheming against each other and not just the MC. You really get the feel of an aristocratic battleground where our MC is just a pawn or background character. It really makes you root for her since she's literally at the bottom of the ladder. As a girl, shes a tool for the family and her family is a tool for the higher powers.

Highly recommended. Will edit when finished but 5 ⭐ for now. <<less
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novelbookie
novelbookie rated it
November 27, 2021
Status: Completed
Wow... *exhale*

This book is a gem. If you happen to come upon this book and you are able to get ahold of a copy of it, read IT. These are the kind of books that makes me want to continue to learn Chinese just to read them.

In fact I'm already looking into the other books by this author. There are three other books excluding this one. Two of the other books are still ongoing. The books are not listed here on NU.

... more>> Now onto the review:

First, the title of the book, in Chinese, is "Conspiracy". I won't go into it too much, but the book is literally about the intricacy of the conspiracies that goes on beyond the courtroom. The struggles of families and the marriages between those in power. Revenge that spans thru countless generation and really hammers in the idea of "Revenge is a dish best severed cold".

On to the characters:

What makes this MC so endearing to me is that she's feels very real. Sounds weird but it's the truth.
Spoiler

*even the ML admits that the MC is smart but softhearted, she doesn't have it in her to take the last step to eliminate her enemies. This is where he comes in and it's a nice balance to see how they complement each other*

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She is very much a woman of her time because she only knows of the bits and pieces of information that probably everyone knows, because a woman is "suppose" to be ignorant of matters outside of the house. She equips herself with knowledges, books and whatnots that is required of her, and takes the time to actually research for more information before she makes a move. You get frustrated along with her when there is something beyond her reach and happy when she accomplishes what she sets out to do. You get to see her build up her power slowly, the steps that she takes to strengthen not only herself but those around her and that makes her all the more endearing to me.

The ML, what can I say? He's dreaming, has almost everyone falling over themselves to ingrain them to him whether for his power or looks, smart and, of course, ruthless. But he does love his family (I love his family too, they make me laugh whenever they get together) and the MC. The MC and ML's first meeting had me laughing.
Spoiler

*MC thought that ML was fooling around with a nun and was being hunted down by a bunch of women*

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He respect MC's decision although he might not always agree with it but he respects her decision. He's smart because as soon as he knows he wants to be with the MC, he takes the necessary steps to ensure that they will be together and the steps he takes makes me love him even more.

Sometimes there are side characters that comes up and disappear because the halo of the MC and ML are just overwhelming but the side characters of this story shine on their own. I love the side CP of Xiao JinLing, ML's sister. Her story was so sad, and you get the see the consequences of what family plotting does to the younger generation. Sometimes you read these books and you forget that the characters of the books are just teenagers who are growing up and experiencing their first blush of love. But this story does a great job of touching up on it and integrating it into the story. A lot of the side characters aren't just 2D. they actually have a good and bad side. You get to see the decisions they make and why they do the things they do. Not only does the ML and MC grow in the book but the side characters also grow. This is a plus for the story and makes me love it more.

Another character that I fell in love with, out of the blue, was Yun WenFeng. I didn't place any expectation on this character, and he wasn't even 2nd ML material but God do I love him. Every time he appears you get to see so much of him. His inner struggles and the complexity of what makes him who he is, even if it's just little snippets of reading about him, he shines through. His attitude and interaction towards his family and those around him really brings his character to another level. I applaud the author for ensuring that this character got his chance to shine even though his screen time was limited.

As I am writing this review there is a total of 1022 readers listed for this book. I am hoping that as the days pass there will be more readers for this wonderful book. It's a great read and at times I just want to skip to the ending because I want to know what is going to happen but everything that happens in between is essential to understand the ending. Note the title of the book "Conspiracy". So if you're looking for a great read then this might be the book for you. <<less
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Saintessally
Saintessally rated it
October 25, 2020
Status: Completed
Though the title of the novel looks cliche this is more than a revenge novel. MC doesn't become best in everything right after rebirth. She is the result of everything she has gone through in her last life. More than revenge, she tries to save her loved ones from their horrible endings of last life. She doesn't blindly go on the road of revenge. Though she gets the help of ML to an extend, it's not for nothing. He also benefits from helping her. She realizes that things are much... more>> more complicated than she thought. It's a well written book on the whole. <<less
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Naimena
Naimena rated it
November 29, 2022
Status: Completed
For once, the setting is not the capital. The setting is a city close to the border, ruled by a Wanye who is in a tense, bordering hostile relationship with the imperial family. Ren Yaoqi did suffer a lot in the first life but later she found a good master and was living a quiet life. When she was reborn, her objective wasn't revenge but rather saving her father, mother and stubborn sister from their tragic fates. Her own fate was barely an afterthought.

She had a hard time because they... more>> didn't have any status in the family and everything was decided by her greedy, utilitarian grandparents. So, she could only manipulate the events from outside. The downfall of the Ren family was bound to happen so she secretly delved into politics and schemed to find a way out for the people she loved. ML is great, he is a gentle scholar type who's secretly the mastermind of the most powerful family in the region (His father is the wanye), she offers him a mutual benefit deal and he's curious about such a sly boudoir girl so he helps her with some info sometimes. After all, he keeps stealing her subordinates. It seems he just likes her company because she's smart and like-minded, he often calls her using his sister as excuse to not harm her reputation, which backfires because his sister and FL become best friends. They are definitely friends to lovers trope, it feels natural and they respect each other. I liked the way the ML made sure she wouldn't suffer from the marriage, even made preparations so they'd be a good match in status and ensured she'd have backing from his mother in backyard matters. She schemed for her family's safety and he schemed for the sake of her happiness and his own family.

There are lots of dark family secrets, hidden motives, conflicting interests and both malice and kindness. All characters are interesting and well developed (except the ones from the capital). Yaoqi's schemes are so well hidden that until the end, most characters never even realized she was the mastermind. <<less
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peerlesscucumber
peerlesscucumber rated it
August 18, 2022
Status: Completed
Loved this! There is a beautiful translation to set off the first few chapters and then I MTL'd the rest of the novel, which was fairly easy to read still. I think that is probably why reception to Di Mou has been quiet; this surpasses a lot of what I've read on this site. The way the story grows is captivating -- I reread the first few chapters after I'd finished the story and was stunned at the development. Ren Yaoqi is reborn, and she starts off quietly. But as... more>> she makes new moves, and is able to track the consequences successfully, she grows in confidence and ability. She becomes a player in the political sphere of her home city, and her dignity, adherence to morals, and intelligence mean that she catches the eye of some powerful figures.

This novel isn't set in the capital, but in the north, which is really significant and very interesting. It means that the domino effect of everyone's actions is a little more telegraphed, and that's just fun to read about. There are a lot of conspiracies abound, way more than I had initially thought, and Yaoqi has to take time and effort to uncover them. The layers of complexity and sophistication to each idea just blew me away. Everything is tied up in a satisfying way. I especially liked the undercurrent of tragedy that this novel was working with -- a lot of rebirth novels try to do the same thing in a trite and hamfisted way, but Di Mou was very clever and sophisticated. Yaoqi thinks (thought) a lot about how her loved ones died in her previous life, but she also thinks about the care that she witnessed too, which propels her forward more than anything else.

Of course, the biggest highlight for me was with the female characters -- Ren Yaoqi is the star, but she has wonderful relationship growth with her sister, Yaohua, and a very sweet and enriching friendship with Xiao Jinglin. The romance is not sidelined, but it is clear that Yaoqi's family come first. I really liked her ability to evaluate people clearly, using her experience and knowledge, and how she was not biased towards her family members when it came to moral wrongdoing. She was able to see where her maternal grandparents had gone wrong, and she had to make conscious decisions to forgive them after losing them in her first life. This novel felt grown-up and sophisticated.

Man, I just loved this. What a triumph of a novel! <<less
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Mehmeh713
Mehmeh713 rated it
February 4, 2022
Status: Completed
Very interesting story with a lot of focus on inner court politicking in a semi noble household (especially in the first half). I think it's pretty refreshing because most of the other books I've read in this genre are set in the palace or in noble literary families based in the capital. But in the book, the FL's family is a merchant family based in a small town in a state close to the border (her family isn't even based in the main city of the state where the story... more>> is based). The courtyard scheming was really interesting given that the FL was in a pretty hostile environment with really awful grandparents and that she started out with basically nothing as an unfavored granddaughter with a really vicious concubine hanging around trying to ruin her. It gradually branches out of her family and town and into the main city with more families and more powerful families being involved in the story line.

Characters: really interesting. Theres soooo many characters in the book but I feel like many of the characters in the main storyline are given fully fleshed out personalities over time and they transform from a blur of names into individual characters that are pretty memorable.

Romance: I really liked how ML and FL are in their relationship. Like it's true that many of the chips are in ML's hands given that he's the son of prince and she's the little girl from a nobody clan but in their relationship, it never feels unequal because he's very respectful of her and her abilities. They're just extremely suitable together. He understands her difficulties and goals and supports her quietly, she understands how he's trying to govern/ manipulate forces and gives him small hints or coordinates with his actions without any discussion.

Unlike YWF, who just does whatever he wants regardless of whether he makes her uncomfortable or not, regardless of whether he makes her look bad or not and regardless of whether she wants it or not. Very. Irritating. I mean he was definitely devoted... but it feels more like a selfish one sided obsession.

one other thing I really liked in the book was all the adorable side couples! Like FL's sister, ML's sister, FL's sickly cousin (favorite side couple), her 5th aunt and uncle, etc. So many cute side couples with lovey dovey stories.

really good book. Pretty understandable even though I MTL-ed most of it. <<less
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Hikari Angel
Hikari Angel rated it
February 18, 2021
Status: Completed
This is going to be the second time I write a review, but this book is so good. When books are have more than 200 or so chapter, I start to lose motivation to read it. BUT this one had me hanging off the edge of my seat and binging all 500 or so chapters in 3 days.

I love how the book is not fully revolve around MC but also the people around her. When I first picked it up, I dreaded that it was going to end up flat... more>> but it didn't and I am forever grateful. The story may start off slow with a lot of exposition, but that exposition is necessary. Once the foundation is laid, the story hits the ground running.

The original name of the book directly translate to Conspiracy and boy are you in for a ride. There are conspiracies left, right, and center and layered so deep you can't see the bottom. This is aristocratic politics at its finest. The game of old mens that our MC is joining.

The MC is not OP or all knowing. There are characters who are as smart if not smarter than she is. Even with the confusing MTL character names the story is so enrapturing. Too bad no one is translating this anymore. If the MTL is already so good then the translation would be even better.

I came for the politics and scheming, and I have stayed for it and the characters. Even the character developments is beautiful to behold. This is the best political intrigue book I have read in the past 5 years. I can even say it is better than To Be A Virtuous Wife and The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of the Military Lineage.

It is absolutely gorgeous. This story have ruined me for so many other politic intrigue books. I recommend anyone to read. <<less
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whitespade
whitespade rated it
February 11, 2021
Status: Completed
Spoiler

EVERY character in this book is a whole living and breathing beings with their own unique thoughts and agenda. So even with the MTL you could recognise the difference between characters even with the jumbled names.

The conspiracies are intricate and exciting. Eventhough our MC is a reborn she do not grasp everything, and that makes her journey more thrilling and believable than the normal reincarnation.

Most characters get what they deserve and I love how author pair up a lot of couples in the end because we readers get interested with these side characters after so many chapters.

SPOILER An interesting point is that she doesn't end up with the person that also reborn / cause her to reborn due to their love debt.

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ylial
ylial rated it
April 26, 2021
Status: Completed
Great novel and suits the title "conspiracy". The ending is as expected, but throughout the novel, the story is really well written and it brought the characters to life. I only felt bad about 2nd male lead.

I like this more than other rebirth stories, since the MC is reasonable. She didn't get revenge to those who wronged her in the previous life but only to exact the injustices given her in the present life in a reasonable way.

I wish near end chapters and the extra were elaborated more and not... more>> briefly stated. Anyway, it is okay since Im very satisfied with this novel <<less
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mercipourleslivres
mercipourleslivres rated it
August 25, 2023
Status: Completed
4.5 stars

This is a very slow-moving rebirth/revenge novel and the FL is rational and smart but I can see some readers getting bored or frustrated with how a lot of her actions are more defensive than offensive. I will say that the FL's schemes ALWAYS pay off, it just takes a long time to get there.

The ML is going up there in my top 5 favorites. I love how the novel keeps you guessing on who the ML will end up being (there are several fakeouts) but once he's introduced... more>> I lived to read his every interaction with the FL. *Insert gif of cat heavily panting here*

The novel really picks up around chapter 270ish (at least in my opinion.) There are also quite a few side characters who end up growing on you, though they don't get very much screen time compared to FL. The interpersonal relationships were the hardest hurdle and I definitely appreciated the many translators who made relationship charts and family trees and character glossaries to help out.

Anyways, I binged this in about 5 days and it was definitely worth it. I look forward to continue reading the translation by SleepyAutumnProductions as they're doing an amazing job. <<less
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nopeitynopenope
nopeitynopenope rated it
July 25, 2021
Status: Completed
This is a great story with lots of layers of politics and interconnected schemes. I see many reviewers comparing it to The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage, but this story has better developed and more complex secondary and tertiary characters and wraps up more loose ends in the story and side stories. I prefer this one if you can get thru the rear courtyard politics. The very last side story is a bit of a heart breaker, too.
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litchikick
litchikick rated it
August 14, 2024
Status: c178
Someone please pick this translation up at ch 179!

This is a book with an exquisite plot! It deserves a wider audience. For those who haven't tried it yet, here are the pros so far:

    • Plot : Awesome!
    • MC: Not OP, but hella smart & does justice to the 2nd chance she's been granted
    • Characters: complex, have detailed backstories, enrich the entire story
    • Villain: Skilled at manupulation, scheming behind the scenes, 3D
    • Revenge: while the MC intends to just protect her loved ones, the bad people are dealt with organically & satisfactorily in service of that goal
    • Romance : good enough, but not the most striking party of this novel
    • Historical heft : As Polar Bear Catcher's review stated, it is indeed present throughout
There really are no cons. As far as translated Chinese reincarnation-themed (Chong Sheng) novels go, it is truly a class apart.

PS: Many people have compared this to Malicious Empress, & while that is a novel that impressed me, I have to admit that it relied quite a bit on plot conveniences. 'Di Mou' is much better in that area, imo.
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katsunnie
katsunnie rated it
June 7, 2024
Status: Completed
This was a good read, but it felt a bit long since too much time was spent on unlikeable or non-essential characters while the MC is in the background observing. With that said, I think this was not as good as 'The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage' which was much more satisfying and engaging. Since this was one of the few rebirth novels I've read and the plot is most similar to the formerly mentioned, I will be comparing some aspects of the two.

'Scheme of the Official... more>> Descendant' has a mystery element to it since the MC did not know everything from her first life and she had to slowly discover the hidden secrets the second time around. This helped moved the story forward because sometimes the schemes were unexciting and underwhelming.

The romance between the MC and ML can be described as subtle, sweet and endearing rather than heart thumping and intense (different between the burning chemistry of Shen Miao and Xie Jing Xing).

The one surprising thing, though, from this novel is the intimate scenes are described much more explicitly which was a bit lacking in Qian Shan Cha Ke's novels. 😉 The major and minor couples are included below 👇

Spoiler

Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jingxi

Ren Yijun and Qi Yuegui

Ren Yaohua and Lei Ting

Xiao Jinglin and Yun Wenting

Pingguo and Yuan Dayong

Zhu Ruomei and Xueli

Xiangqin and Xiao Shun

Nanxing and Mu Hu

Bonus - Xiao Yan and Yun Chuxue

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Overall, this was still a worthwhile first read though I would not re-read. The two novels are similar but also different so it comes down to preference. Some may like this more than 'The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage' because it is more realistic and subtle. This novel was more about protecting those who are important rather than getting revenge and instead letting time and karma catch up to her enemies. <<less
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zetnnik
zetnnik rated it
November 14, 2023
Status: Completed
A rebirth story where the MC was not too OP, or at least the writer did not focus too much on her OP-ness. 😊
The main characters were likable; there were definitely other side characters who stole some of the scenes — the 3rd Ren cousin and his wife, Qi shi. I love her, she’s hilarious! 😊
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Lola.
Lola.
August 6, 2023
Status: --
What. A. GEM!

For a story with 500+ chapters like this, I must say I rarely skip parts, just to show how enganging the story is. One arc to another flows smoothly, and you keep want to read more and more. And for as many as characters this story have, I feel like each has a quite significant role for each arc.

*****might contain spoilers*****

The MC: I adore the MC, she's smart, but not omnipotent or vengeful. Although as a reader I sometimes feel frustrated with her wait n see approach, she... more>> made it up with her smart scheming in the background. Most of the time you wont even feel the MC is reincarnated with how easygoing she is, the only time she freaked out is when it involves her sister or the eunuch who tortured her. Even with the maternal grandparents who she despised, she can still act cool. I also like how she tried her best to avoid problems and not trying hard to conquer them, like she knows the 2nd Master Yun is a loose canonball, and tried her best to avoid him completely. She's smart and always use her logic to avoid traps.

The ML: I feel like at first he was rather boring, the classic cool powerful ML, but he's actually funny, and easily get embarassed regarding his interaction with the MC. He also has a rather interesting story about him and his family.

The MC's family:

Her Dad : 3rd Master Ren is the artsy type. The type who doesnt care about anything but arts. He maybe kinder to the MC, but that's because the MC is talented in art and always try to be closer to her dad. It's kinda sad how he probably only truly think MC is his child, not even the son got a special place. He even think MC is the last child, when in reality there is still the shu-born twins after her. MC really is the only one in his family that he listen to and think of, he actually plan to leave all his most treasured things to her

Her Mom : probably the few characters that isnt scheming in this story, but even then she's also complex. Just when you think she's only a meek weak character, it turns out there's a reason behind it.

Her Sister: well she's probably the most annoying one. For the most part I feel like she's only there to give rude remarks and be the tough one, and only after she met his to-be husband did she really change. I mean, your grandmother basically treat your mom and sister as dirt, but since she's nice to me, I guess she's alright? Not until the grandma treat her the same as the other (like dirt) did she really turn her back on her. Wtf.

The maternal grandparents : typical selfish materialistic characters. The kind who will sell their family just for the glory of the family.

The ML family: I love that his parents (the king and queen of Yanbei) is really the normal parents here. They love and support their children, and also dont easily fall into others trap easily. And they have a cute background story of their own. The sister (princess) is also not your typical swordwielding princess. She might be awkward with how to interact with fellow ladies, but doesnt mean she cant fake it for formal events when needed. Even the paternal grandmother concubine Yun is complex, she maybe lowkey, but she would bare her claws when needed.

The 2nd Master Yun : I'm kinda confused with their story tbh, so he was MC's nemesis in the past life, but in this life he's obsessed with her. But then we get to know later on that he was as obsessed with her in the last life too, but but because he's a brat, he did the typical I will annoy you until you pay attention to me. And why did he also remember part of his last life memory? Is he the reason MC reincarnated? I'm kinda sad he's the only one who doesnt have a match, although he is a major a**hole, so kinda deserved that tbh

Overall a solid story, please give it a try! <<less
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Shinygold13
Shinygold13 rated it
October 2, 2021
Status: Completed
To say this is like “The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage” is an insult to this novel because this novel can stand completely on its own. Perhaps one similarity I could point out with absolute conviction is “intrigue” but really that in itself is too thin of a connection.

The Scheme of the Official Descendant is a straightforward novel despite being full of conspiracies. I call it straightforward because it really is as the title said. Scheming everywhere. From beginning to end, the intersecting interests of the characters... more>> fueled the plot and manifested a three dimensional world wherein it revolves not just on our main characters but also other supporting characters.

While reading, the events, the characters and the tone of the story are almost realistic. People showed strengths and weaknesses that governed their actions. The only fantastical event is the rebirth of Yaoqi, how it happened and why were never introduced to us readers. Although I crave to know why Yaoqi was able to be reborn along with another character but alas, the author didn’t reveal it until the end.

Nevertheless, I love this novel. I especially love how love plays out here. The romance takes a backseat, subtle but like that creeping vine that twines around with the passing of time. Also, points for the smexy scenes! Compared to other non-smutty Cnovels, the scenes are rather-ahem-spicy. I was pleasantly surprised.

Sadly, this isn’t a fully translated novel so it is a struggle to mtl. So many subtexts and people to keep up! I have to reread some chapters just so I know who’s who. Despite this, I had a great time.

People compare this to TRMEML but in my opinion, what they shared together is a well-written intrigue plot, though I believe this novel is far more abundant in political machinations than TRMEML. It is about the scheme of an official descendant, after all.

In terms of food, both novels are two different main courses and if you are the type to like a novel that is well written then don’t skip this one. <<less
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silent hobby
silent hobby rated it
April 5, 2021
Status: Completed
This novel is good, in my opinion the genre a bit like The Rebirth of Malicious Empress of Military Lineage. But this novel less bloodier than The Rebirth of Malicious Empress.

The story pace is too slow, even so the novel is not boring actually.

For me, I like Malicious Empress better but this novel is a good novel with its own charm.

The story is about rebirth girl Ren Yao Qi, she wants to keep her family safe and alive in her second chance, she doesn't think about revenge or destroy her... more>> previous life's enemies. In the process to prevent her parents and sister's tragic life, she get to know the ML and they have a few agreements. It is a slow romance where the two MC take a long time to heating up.

There are families interests that connected to political schemes. A complicated relationship between big families that a few side characters have to sacrifice their love for family's interest. There are also a few characters unable to appreciate what they have and want to snatching from others, they end up tragically.

This is a good story to enjoy and I'd recommend this for the readers who like rebirth story with light plot but not boring. <<less
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nyx08
nyx08 rated it
December 24, 2024
Status: c178
THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST REBIRTH STORIES. IF YOU LIKE CONSPIRACIES UPON CONSPIRACIES, SCHEMING, WELL THOUGHT OUT STORY, FLESHED OUT COMPLEX SIDE CHARACTERS, REALISTIC MC THEN READ THIS IMMEDIATELY

btw, I see many reviews comparing it to "rebirth of a malicious empress" but in my opinion this story is way better but a bit less bloody than that one. Every single character in this story has their own thoughts and complexity. The villains are actually INTELLIGENT. And I really can't hate any of the characters (except han dongshang... more>> and mc's grandparents) probably cus I love smart characters. Though there are some characters I find annoying (Ren Yaohua but she grows on me) there are some s*upid characters but they are very rare and only because they were spoiled or they are still children. Also it was kinda fun to try to find the ML in the 1st 60+ chapters. Honestly I can't really think of any cons of the novel.

I'll detail the different families below, this was taken from sleepyautumn site but I edited some things -
Spoiler

Ren Family (nouveau riche, just getting rich in the previous generation)

Ren Baoming, the Previous Ren Patriarch. Children :

1. Ren Yonghe, the Old Master Ren, now the Patriarch of Ren Family, he lives on west side of the main mansion.

Main wife: maiden surname Qiu, now the Old Madam Ren, the full-blood sister of Qiu Patriarch. Children:

1.1 Ren Shizong, the Elder Master.

Main wife: maiden surname Wang, now the Eldest Madam. Children:

1.1.1 Ren Yiyan, the Eldest Young Master.

*His Wife - Maiden surname Zhao, now the Eldest Young Madam.

1.1.2 Ren Yaochi, the Eldest Miss, now married to Gu Family.

1.1.3 Ren Yijun, the Third Young Master.

1.1.4 Ren Yaoyin, the Fourth Miss.

Concubine of the Eldest Master.

Children:

1.1.5 Ren Yaoqin, the Second Miss, now married to Yan Family.

1.2 Ren Shimin, the Third Master.

Main wife: maiden surname Li, now the Third Madam. Children:

1.2.1 Ren Yaohua, the Third Miss.


1.2.2 Ren Yaoqi, the Fifth Miss, our Main Character.

Concubine of the Third Master, maiden name Fang Yaru.

Children:

1.2.3 Ren Yihong, Sixth Young Master.

1.2.4 Ren Yaoying, Ninth Miss.

1.3 Ren Shimao, the Fifth Master.

Main wife: maiden surname Lin, now the Fifth Madam.

Children:

1.4.1 Ren Yijian, the Fifth Young Master.

1.4.2 Ren Yaoyu, the Eight Miss.


Concubine of the fifth master, maiden surname Kang. (Currently missing)

1.4 Ren Shijia, now married to Lin Family.

2. Second Old Master Ren, now in the capital.


Main wife: Maiden surname Liao, now the Old Madam Ren of East Mansion. Children:

2.1 Ren Shiyuan, the Second Master.


Main wife: maiden name Su Yi, now the Second Madam, cousin of Zeng Lin. Children: 2.1.1 Ren Yaoting, the Seventh Miss.
Concubine of the Second Master, maiden surname Yuan, the eldest of Yuan twin sisters. Children:

2.1.2 Ren Yilin, the Second Young Master.


Concubine of the Second Master, maiden surname Yuan, the youngest of Yuan twin sisters. Children:

2.1.3 Ren Yixin, the Forth Young Master.

2.2 Ren Shixu, the Forth Master (now resides in capital).

Main wife: maiden surname Yue, now the Forth Madam. Children:

2.2.1 The Sixth Miss

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Lin Family (a merchant family)

1. Eldest Great Old Master Lin, the late Great Old Master Lin of the Eldest Branch

Main wife: maiden surname Qiu, can be called the Great Old Madam of the Eldest Branch, the aunt of Old Madam Ren, Fifth Madam Ren's grandmother. Children:

1.1 Old Master Lin, the current Patriarch of Lin Family.

Main wife: maiden surname Fang, now the Old Madam Lin. Children:

1.1.1 Eldest Master Lin

1.1.2 Lin, now Fifth Madam Ren

2. Second Great Old Master Lin, the late Great Old Master Lin of Second Branch. Children:

2.1 Second Old Master Lin, the late Patriarch of Lin Family Second Branch, Fifth Madam Ren's uncle. Children:

2.1.1 Lin Kun, Eldest Master of the Lin Family Second Branch, Sixth Master Lin, courtesy name Lisheng.

Main wife: Ren Shijia, now Sixth Madam Lin. Children :

2.1.1.1 Lin Cen, a boy.

????

Lin Baoling, a young lady from the third branch of the Lin family.

(Within the Lin Family, there were only four female descendants, with two of them being born to concubines, while there were about a dozen sons.)

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Now I'll elaborate on the characters :

  1. Ren Yaoqi : the MC. The fifth young lady ren. Although MC is really intelligent she's not super op, she does not know every scheme, and her being able to outscheme her enemies in this life mainly comes from the fact that she knows her enemies but they have no clue about her. In fact I'm pretty sure if concubine fang and the others knew that she was the one scheming, she was their enemy her chances to win would be most likely gone. And she's not really all too focused on revenge she just wants to avoid trouble and lead a good life. She takes her time with her plan and waits for the right opportunity.
  2. Ren Yaohua : mc's older sister. 3rd young lady ren. Even though she's annoying she's not a bad person. She's just very prideful. In the story start she just comes back from her 1 year punishment which she had to suffer bc MC was manipulated by concubine fang. And upon coming back concubine fang creates more misunderstandings between the two sisters causing ren yaohua to hate MC. But MC slowly clears up things and improves their relationship. Before being punished yaohua was the favorite of old madam so she really lived her days arrogantly and she was also the favorite child of her mother but she doesn't get along with her father and hates her mother's natal family. She's smart but her limited experience and upbringing limits her views but there's ren yaoqi guiding her.
  3. Li : she's MC mom. 3rd Madam Ren. She's a very good natured and timid person. She never really mixes with the people of ren family and she holds little to no power within the family as she has no son. She's really a doormat person untill it comes to her natal family. She has her pride engraved in her bones and she can't let go of it even tho he family has fallen she is the daughter of prince Xian. So she's really prideful about her family.
  4. Ren Shimin : MC father. 3rd master Ren. Honestly bro is NOT a good father, husband, lover, son, or sibling. He has his head up in the clouds all day and the only one he cares about among his children is the MC and that is only due to the fact that the MC shares his talent in art, music, calligraphy. He doesn't really love either his wife (li) or concubine (fang). He sees everything with a artistic view.
  5. Fang : concubine fang, our villain. First of all she's someone I respect even though she has little to no screentime. She was the only one to walk out unharmed in past life when ren family faced it downfall. +1000 aura. Also the fact that whenever there's a scheme everyone relates it to her shows us how truly terrifying she is +2000 aura. And she earned everything she has today solely through her hard work, she had nothing but she carved a way for herself out of nothing. It's a pity that her very position makes her enemies with MC, since if she wants to prosper she needs to defeat MC mom, MC and MC sister. I also like the fact that she treats all her subordinates well and doesn't just send them to their death.
  6. Ren Yaoying : concubine fang's daughter. 9th young lady ren. She's really immature at the start and not as shrewd as her mom. But I think she matures a little after not appearing in public for 6 months not sure tho.
  7. Lin : Fifth madam Ren. She's not absolutely s*upid but she's been spoiled to a point where she thinks everything will go in her direction and she can't stand otherwise. Although she's one of the s*upidest characters in the novel she's also one of the luckiest as she was spoiled in her natal home and in her married home. Her husband really loves her and has eyes only for her, she even has a son and a daughter, the only time she suffered was when she offended concubine fang otherwise she would've had a smooth sailing life.
  8. Ren Shimao : 5th master Ren. He's also a spoiled person and he's a wife puppy. He only cares about his wife.
  9. Ren Yaoyu : lin and ren shimao's daughter. 8th young lady ren. She's the s*upidest and most immature in ren family.
  10. concubine kang :
    Spoiler

    she's really smart and has some really good acting skills but it's unfortunate that her family background holds her down. Even MC admitted that the only reason concubine fang and kang were defeated in that round wasn't because they weren't smart or ruthless enough but rather because of their birth status. Tho the chapters with concubine kang were really uncomfortable to read cus I hate the home wrecking trope.

    [collapse]
  11. Ren Yaoyin : 4th young lady Ren. She's the most mature among the ren sisters (MC doesn't count bc she has past life). She's also careful and considerate and she never really gets involved in schemes snd dramas.
  12. Eldest Madam : she's also a low-key person and doesn't really get all too involved in schemes and she always schemes according to the elders wishes.
  13. Ren Yijun : the third young master Ren, my favorite among Ren Yaoqi's siblings. I especially like him due to him breaking all the ancestor tablets in past life with Ren Yaoqi. He's a sickly person and because of that his activities are restricted and he really loves playing chess.
  14. Su : Second Madam Ren. I love smart characters and therefore I also love her. It's so pitiful that she had to marry a husband like that who wanted to become a monk bc she had a average face.
  15. Ren Yaoting : 7th young lady Ren. She thinks that she's intelligent but she's not, and she's really reckless + immature + naive.
  16. Ren Shijia : the only pure person to come out of Ren family. She's actually nice and good. I just hope she doesn't suffer.
  17. Lin Kun : he's smart, cold, and calculative. We still don't know much about him. I feel like although he married Shijia bc of some calculations he does care a little about her and his care for his son doesn't seem like a lie but honestly idk.
  18. Yun Wenfang : so freaking annoying. He needs to mind his own business and leave Ren Yaoqi alone.
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3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
dadanini89
dadanini89 rated it
April 19, 2023
Status: c345
Her older sister is literally the 'pig teammate', so annoying, more annoying than the villain Aunt Fang. Like she never learned from her mistakes and impulsiveness, add on the short temper and dumbness, then almost expecting her younger sister to actually plan strategies and clean up after her mess. For me, she's the real villain in the second life period of the FL.
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frostcrystal
frostcrystal rated it
January 9, 2023
Status: Completed
I enjoyed it very much! Schemes were fun, romance was satisfying, and I enjoyed that the villians were a good mix of serious crazies and people who could be compromised with. I also loved the friendship between FL and Jinglin - good girlfriends in these novels are underrated. The fleshing out of secondary characters and their romances was also very well done. Even though second ML was a real pain in the bu*t early on, his epilogue chapter made me kind of tear up. The only thing I wasn't keen... more>> on was that ML XJX (the black-bellied one with the white tiger) and other ML XJX from Malicious Empress (the black-bellied one with the white tiger) were basically the same character. When you look closer there are setting and personality differences between them, but I would have preferred that their characters didn't remind me so much of each other. I'm not sure which came first since the novels were published at around the same time. <<less
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