that time, however, a new Buddhist temple that Gao Huan had commissioned, the Dingguo Temple (定國寺), was completed. When Gao Huan asked Chen and Wen Zisheng (溫子昇) for recommendations on someone who would be able to write an appropriate text for the dedication tablet, Chen recommended Zu. Gao Huan ordered Zu to write the dedication text, and Zu completed a beautifully written text within two days. On account of the well-written text and the speed in which it was written, Gao Huan retracted the sentence of hard labor, but still removed him from his post. After Gao Huan died in 547, Gao Cheng took over as Eastern Wei's regent, and he took Zu back on his staff. Gao Cheng himself was assassinated by his servant Lan Jing (蘭京) in 549. Chen Yuankang was severely injured while making a futile attempt to save Gao Cheng, and while he was dying, he dictated his will to Zu and asked Zu to relay it to his brothers Chen Shuchen (陳叔諶) and Chen Jiqu (陳季璩). Zu intentionally omitted some of the properties and embezzled them. When Chen Shuchen later became aware of this, he complained to the official Yang Yin, but Yang pointed out to Chen Shuchen that as those properties appeared to be themselves ill-gotten gains, making the matter public would be bad for Chen Yuankang's memory, and so the matter was dropped. After Gao Cheng's death, Gao Cheng's brother Gao Yang became regent. On one occasion, Zu was to submit a list of minor officials who were to be promoted—and he submitted a list of people who had bribed him. This was discovered, and he was sentenced to death by hanging, but Gao Yang pardoned him. Not changing his ways, he again secretly sold volumes of the Hualin Pianlüe, and was again sentenced to death by hanging. Gao Yang, impressed by his talent and unwilling to put him to death, spared him from the death penalty but removed him from his post. During the reigns of Emperor Wenxuan, Emperor Fei, and Emperor Xiaozhao Gao Yang had Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei yield the throne to him in 550, ending Eastern Wei and establishing Northern Qi. As Emperor Wenxuan, he remembered Zu Ting's talent and recalled him to serve in his administration, putting him in charge of drafting edicts. However, he eventually again removed Zu from office for embezzlement. Whenever he saw Zu,