Liu Xie nodded in satisfaction, but then another thought occurred to him. He looked at Guo Jia. "But Fengxiao, your health..."
Could Guo Jia's health hold out until they reached Mount Tai?
The journey from Chang'an to Mount Tai was over a thousand li.
Guo Jia smiled faintly and said, "I can set everything else aside, but if Your Majesty is going to Mount Tai to perform the Feng and Shan sacrifices, you must not leave me behind."
"Even if I have to crawl, I will crawl to Mount Tai!"
The Fengshan Sacrifice at Mount Tai required a great deal of preparation and could not be arranged in a month or two, so he had ample time to recuperate.
And even if he had not recovered, he would still go. He would not allow himself to miss witnessing the Son of Heaven performing the Fengshan Sacrifice at Mount Tai.
He had accompanied the Son of Heaven in his humble days. Now that the Son of Heaven stood at the pinnacle, how could he be absent?
"Don't worry. If you collapse halfway up the mountain, I'll carry you the rest of the way."
Jia Xu offered Guo Jia reassurance.
Guo Jia rolled his eyes at him and said scornfully, "You get winded after running a few steps, and you want to carry me? Just don't exhaust yourself to death."
Jia Xu's face instantly flushed red. He slapped the table and snapped in exasperation, "Guo Fengxiao! Do you really think I wouldn't dare lay a hand on you just because you're ill?"
"Come on! Hit me if you've got the nerve. If you dare hit me, I'll dare collapse!"
Guo Jia spoke without the slightest fear, utterly convinced he was in the right.
Jia Xu trembled all over with anger at his