There are a lot of new dramas out there that I'm sure would fit your description but I have yet to watch them. So here are some oldies but goldies.
The Untamed (new drama) - just started but the male leads are hot
The story of Yanxi Palace - extremely intelligent female lead outsmarts people in the palace
Story of Minglan - smart female lead and a great ending, also the side characters have their own story line
The Eternal Love 1 & 2 - cute historical and the romance scenes are to die for
Uncontrollably fond - sad but the romance is soooo good
Kill me Heal Me - great acting, has some humor to it
Secret - same leads as kill me heal me but
Princess Weiyoung - great if you want to binge-watch, good romance with male leads and side characters
Princess Silver - halfway through it, complicated but the costumes and acting are great
If you haven't noticed I'm a historical Junkie lol