A City Is Mine from the Start

The protagonist, Li Zheng, has lost his grandfather. According to a promise made years ago by the previous city lord, a talented descendant of the Li family will take over as steward of the city lord's household. If none are talented, the family must still be given a monthly allowance so its descendants can live without worries.

The current city lord is extremely stingy. To avoid supporting the Li family descendants, and to deal with this year's bandit troubles in Xiliang City, he tricks and lures Li Zheng into buying the city for the bargain price of fifty gold coins.

After taking charge of Xiliang City, watch as Li Zheng draws on five thousand years of Chinese wisdom to grow step by step amid one crisis after another, until he rules another world.