The Border Prince

In the thirtieth year of Dayong's peace, the northern border is torn open by a vanished military grain shipment. Lu Chenzhou, the twenty-two-year-old Prince of Jingbei, is ordered to return to Linyuan City and inherit a leaking, debt-ridden princely mansion with no military power. The emperor gives him a bronze token to monitor the north and a three-month deadline: fail to hold the city, lose his title; fail to audit the accounts, face punishment. The mansion already houses three formidable women: Su Tinglan, his childhood friend and steward who is quicker with an abacus than a blade; Ning Zhiwei, a criminal's daughter hidden in the accounting room; and Ye Jingshuang, a cold-faced guard holding a secret decree to watch him. Lu Chenzhou intends to first repair the roof, but from a forged grain ticket he discovers that his father's death in battle, the Ning family's old case, the enemy's peace overtures, and the court's succession struggle all point to a single secret ledger: the 'Beihang Lu'. The story unfolds around 'defending a home, then a city, and ultimately deciding the fate of the realm.' The seven female leads are not scattered rewards but gradually form a core team with shared life, interests, and choices. — Description from novelcodex.org