After he racked his brain to illustrate the garden design, Gu Yun had also returned from patrol to the north. The Emperor ordered the Ministry of Works’ executive officer to bring the design to Marshal for his opinions.

Marshal's opinions… they were as heavy as a downpour.

The hard work in Chang Geng's eyes became Gu Yun's greatest joy at that time. After returning to the capital, Gu Yun ran to the Ministry of Works every day, chatting with the two construction leaders. One day he would add something, then change something else in another. He would offer Chang Geng a heap of bits and pieces of miscellaneous things he thought were impressive.

Today, he'd show him the most popular tiles in Jiangnan, and the next day, he'd showed him five designs for the guest pavilion, asking him to choose which one he liked best. Chang Geng bent his waist, holding a magnifier glass, looking back and forth three times, but could not see any difference between them.

"It's alright," Chang Geng didn't understand his enthusiasm very well. He just thought, "As long as he's happy."

Therefore, the construction of the entire Gu garden in the later period was almost entirely built according to Gu Yun's ideas. He carried out these things with seemingly never-ending patience. He even personally went to see what kinds of bamboo trees would be planted beside the pavilion; when he could not make a choice, he also brought several trees back to the Marquis' Manor for planting to see how they would turn out.

Chang Geng accompanied him to plant the bamboo. He felt that when these trees were standing in a row, they appeared as if they came from the same mother. He thought blankly, maybe they would become different after some time?

Because of the weather in the imperial capital being inappropriate for their growth, the bamboo trees all died, Chang Geng was not able to see the difference. Thus, it remained a mystery.

Long after the Gu garden's completion, Gu Yun set off his horses in the back of the mountains, while Chang Geng rolled up his trousers to fish.

As soon as there was a fish about to take the bait, Gu Yun's horses always ran over to join in on the fun, as if they were deliberately making trouble. After sitting for a long time, they did not manage to catch any fish. Chang Geng was not in a hurry either; he calmly changed the bait and sat leisurely, there was no telling whether he was fishing or meditating.

Gu Yun remembered something and suddenly asked Chang Geng, "Didn't you say that you would take care of building this garden? Why did it all become my job in the end?"

Chang Geng said lazily: "My idea at the beginning was relatively simple, only a small piece of the courtyard."