After the young official went to invite Grand Artisan Wu Ze over, he watched the man enter the hall. Only after they had spoken inside for a full half a xia-hour did Wu Ze come back out.
When he entered the hall again, he saw Zhai Huaiyi casually flipping through something. He could not help asking, "Chief Zhai, you seem to think highly of Grand Artisan Wu." He knew that when Zhai Huaiyi discussed matters with others in the past, he had never taken longer than a quarter-hour.
Zhai Huaiyi set down what he was holding and looked up. "Do you know An Zhizhi of Eastern Court?"
"I do." The young official nodded. "They say he has the ability to serve as a Grand Artisan, but his petition was held back when it reached the Heavenly Works Bureau. It seems someone claimed he had merely been propped up by others and possessed no real talent."
Zhai Huaiyi shook his head. "I have never met An Shaolang, but he was able to preside over a Celestial Mechanism Institute in one region. Could Eastern Court Prefecture's Creation achieve such prosperity if he had no ability?"
The young official was somewhat surprised. He had thought Eastern Court was upheld by Grand Artisan Wu alone. He had not expected this to truly be connected to that man.
Zhai Huaiyi said slowly, "This An Shaolang also possesses miraculous Creation techniques that even the Heavenly Works Bureau does not have—techniques that lead to the Upper Layer."
The young official's eyes widened. This was the first he had heard of it. Startled, he said, "He possesses miraculous techniques leading to the Upper Layer? How is that possible?"
Zhai Huaiyi replied unhurriedly, "Why would it be impossible? Several epochs of miraculous civilization existed in Eastern Court Land, but