Starting with a Scam on the Entire Court, I Build an Academy

What do you do after getting expelled from the Imperial College?

Jiang Ci: If I want to go to school, I'll just have to con the whole court and build an even better academy of my own!

[White Deer Academy: The greatest academy of its age, and of all time]

[Hailed as the true origin of the ivory tower]

[The ideal homeland and spiritual sanctuary of scholars, and the most glorious chapter in the dynasty's history]

[In a nutshell: If you never enter White Deer Academy, all those books you read were for nothing!]

In response to these shameless claims made to attract students:

The Imperial College's Director of Studies scoffs: "It's fake! What kind of no-name school is this? Don't try to ride on the Imperial College's reputation!"

An Imperial College student sneers: "Only those who attend the Imperial College can rise to the top."

Until...

The SSR Grand Secretary joins White Deer Academy.

The SSR Minister of Revenue joins White Deer Academy.

The SSR Prince Rui joins White Deer Academy.

The SSR Director of Studies at the Imperial College transfers to White Deer Academy with his young son, who is still in school.

Imperial College students: ???

*

The spring examinations of the twenty-first year of Yongxi were hailed as the greatest imperial examination in a thousand years.

The academies were packed with talent, and their candidates were all once-in-a-century geniuses, selected to compete in a battle of dragons and tigers.

Then White Deer Academy appeared out of nowhere.

The top three candidates, the palace champion, runner-up, and third-place finisher, all came from White Deer Academy.

The successful candidates in the second and third ranks were also swept up by White Deer Academy, which claimed half the entire list.

From then on, its gates were trampled flat four times every three days, as scholars from across the dynasty wept and pleaded for admission.

Later, the students who left White Deer Academy to serve at court became the backbone of the entire dynasty.

Jiang Ci, who founded White Deer Academy, not only came first in the exams of the twenty-first year of Yongxi, but, with the academy's students supporting him, also became a wise ruler who revived the dynasty and ushered in an era of prosperity.

Looking back, almost everyone believes Jiang Ci conned the entire court into joining his academy to pave the way for his future coronation.

Jiang Ci: ...Is it possible that becoming emperor was an unintended consequence, and that I really went to all that trouble to con the entire court because I just wanted to run an academy?

I just happened to build the greatest academy of all time.

[Academy management]

[Historical school story]

Theme: Grow through teaching, keep improving, draw your sword, and restore order in times of danger.