he often referred to him as "the thief," for which Zu bore a grudge. It was probably during Emperor Wenxuan's reign when Zu first befriended Emperor Wenxuan's younger brother Gao Zhan, the Prince of Changguang, as one of Zu's talents was making walnut oil for paintings, and he once offered walnut oil to Gao Zhan. When he did so, he commented, "According to fortunetelling principles, Your Royal Highness' bone structure shows great honor. I have once dreamed that you rode a dragon to heaven." Gao Zhan responded, "If that happened, I will make you, my brother, rich and powerful." After Emperor Wenxuan died in 559 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Fei, Zu was recalled to the government to serve as a commandery governor—but he never actually took office, as Yang Yin, who commissioned him to that office, was killed in a coup. Instead, he again became an imperial document drafter. After Emperor Fei was deposed in 560 and replaced by his uncle Emperor Xiaozhao, Zu drew the new emperor's ire by submitting secret petitions excessively; Emperor Xiaozhao ordered his secretaries to refuse further submissions by Zu, but did not appear to remove him from his office. During Emperor Wucheng's reign In 561, Emperor Xiaozhao died, and Gao Zhan became emperor (as Emperor Wucheng). He quickly promoted Zu, although this brought jealousy from Emperor Wucheng's most trusted official He Shikai, and He Shikai had him leave the capital to serve as a commandery governor, but Emperor Wucheng soon summoned Zu back to the capital to again be in charge of imperial edicts, and on one occasion Zu served as an envoy to Chen Dynasty. In 565, Zu persuaded He Shikai that his fortune was linked to that of Emperor Wucheng—that as the other officials despised him, once Emperor Wucheng died, he would be in a desperate situation. He suggested to He Shikai that the solution was to suggest that the emperor pass the throne to his crown prince Gao Wei. Both Zu and He Shikai thereafter persuaded Emperor Wucheng that, in light of astrological signs that the emperor position should change and that it would be even more honored to be an emperor's father than to be emperor, he should pass the throne to Crown Prince Wei. Emperor Wucheng agreed, and did so in summer 565. During Gao Wei's reign Before Emperor Wucheng's death Although Emperor Wucheng passed the