Vice Dean Sun heaved a sigh, instructing Zhao Shijin to send word if any new information was found, and then departed.
Unless things take an unexpected turn, Dean Lin might not be returning this time, and the academy's affairs will fall onto my shoulders, he thought. Perhaps, it's for the better.
The original purpose of the academy was to cultivate pillars of the nation and produce talented individuals for the imperial court. Now, it had transformed into a place where Dean Lin nurtured his own loyalists and built his network of connections. On the surface, the students appeared dedicated and ambitious, but in reality, a corrupt atmosphere prevailed.
The academy's motto was: "Moral education as the foundation, self-cultivation as essential; a heart that worries for the world, loyalty to the Emperor and service to the nation."
Yet now, it was: "Money as the foundation, official status as essential; a heart that worries for one's career, loyalty to Dean Lin and service to Dean Lin."
