Zhao Yan preferred to have a plan for everything. He did not mind that the most skilled craftsmen in the Ministry of Works were unwilling to work under him; people naturally seek higher ground just as water flows downward. Within the Ministry, he was merely an invisible figure, so it was perfectly normal for those craftsmen to look down on him.
To renovate the Eastern Palace, one first had to discover the problems—one had to know where the decay lay. In the Ministry of Works, the only person under his command was Chén Dōngpíng.
"Sir, are we really going to the Eastern Palace?" Chén Dōngpíng trotted to keep up with Zhao Yan’s pace. Zhao Yan was a head taller than him; his legs were level with Chén Dōngpíng’s waist, so with his shorter stride, he had no choice but to trot.
Chapter 518