The host and the protagonist had a happy ending again [Quick Transmigration]

There's no rush to use the Reincarnation Elixir. Xu Ran wants to detoxify Pei Guan within three months because Tian Qi will face a calamity thereafter.

In the original storyline, the army in the northern frontier was well-trained and had strong combat power. Pei Guan had also made thorough preparations before returning to the capital. In theory, this should have ensured ten years of peace in Tianqi. In ten years, Tianqi might very well produce another war god.

But that was only in theory. That winter, the wind and snow were too heavy. The nomadic Yi people in the north were covered by snow and the grasslands were covered by snow. Cattle, sheep and children starved and froze to death. Despair spread across this land. They loved the freedom and passion here, but also coveted the wealth and warmth of Tianqi.

With the heavy snow about to block the roads, news arrived that Pei Guan, the war god whom they feared most in Tianqi, had died. Their king decided to take a desperate gamble.

Children of the grasslands are born to be eagles, but even with such strength, it's unimaginable how they would cope with one harsh winter after another when they lacked food and clothing.

It wasn't just the warriors of the grasslands who attacked again; women, children, the elderly, and everyone else were soldiers. The courteous Tianqi people couldn't imagine such a thing happening. The young soldiers couldn't bring themselves to wield their swords against children, and they were caught completely off guard.

The already somewhat unstable court due to the death of the regent was thrown into turmoil once again, as barbarian tribes entered the border of Tianqi, burning, killing, and looting like hungry wolves entering a city.

Left with no other choice, the emperor personally led the expedition. After all, he was trained by Pei Guan and was quite capable. After reorganization, the Tianqi army was ready to go. After three years, they finally forced back the barbarian tribes who had run out of ammunition and food.

Postponing the detoxification period to March was not without risk. Even if Xu Ran would not let Pei Guan get into trouble this time, under the pressure of survival, the Yi tribe would definitely invade as in the original story. With powerful neighbors pressing in, it would be a fight to the death. Xu Ran could not let Pei Guan drag his sick body to the battlefield, so he also decided to personally lead the expedition.

Before personally leading the expedition, Pei Guan's poison must be cured, and then all state affairs should be handed over to this man.

Pei Guan should write composing essays for him for the rest of his life.

The detoxification process cannot go wrong, so Xu Ran stopped allowing Pei Guan to attend court, causing a great deal of discussion throughout the court and among the people.

Although His Majesty has already seized power, the Regent's reputation built up over many years cannot be erased overnight. There are always people waiting to see who will prevail between the two, and some even hope for a lose-lose outcome.

The regent has not attended court for three days, and his palace is closed to visitors. Some say that the regent has been placed under house arrest by His Majesty and may have already died.

Du Yucheng looked worriedly at the empty seat below the emperor. Although he was loyal to the emperor, he was still a subject and did not want to see this kind of fate of being discarded after serving one's purpose.

The ministers had different thoughts, but when they received the memorial after court, all their thoughts turned to shock. It contained the regent Pei Guan's vermilion annotation and seal!

His Majesty did not carry out the killing. Could it be that the Regent is truly ill? Even if His Majesty cherishes the bond between ruler and subject, he should still be suspicious and wary of the Regent. Taking advantage of the Regent's illness, His Majesty should have completely stripped him of his power. How could His Majesty allow the Regent to review memorials?

Du Yucheng's lips twitched. He was worried that the regent's life was in danger, but the regent simply wrote "read" on the greeting letter that Du Yucheng had painstakingly written.

In the past, when His Majesty reviewed documents, he would always reply with "I am well!"

Xu Ran was also a little tired, so he rushed back to the side hall of Ninghui Palace after court. The breakfast on the table was untouched. Pei Guan, dressed in a blue robe, was reviewing today's memorials.

Xu Ran's gaze swept across the table. "Why aren't you eating?"

Pei Guan hesitated for a moment, then Xu Ran nodded knowingly: "Waiting for me."

"..."

He had just woken up and didn't feel hungry yet, but seeing the smile on His Majesty's lips, he decided against arguing with him.

The system stole a snack when no one was looking, hid in a corner and ate it in small bites. After it finished eating, it flew back to Xu Ran's ear.

"It doesn't taste as good as what the host made."

Xu Ran chuckled, "You're still not satisfied with the skills of that imperial chef who's been cooking for so many years?"

The system sighed: "Host, how about I choose a small world for you where you can be a chef, or a food blogger?"

  

I want to eat the host's cooking every day.

After breakfast, Xu Ran checked Pei Guan's pulse again. "Not bad. Your body will be a little weaker after the Reincarnation Pill is removed, but don't worry, you can recover."

Pei Guan didn't care whether his health was better or worse. "How is Your Majesty?"

His Majesty was exhausted after yesterday's acupuncture treatment, and Zhao Fu said that he almost missed the morning court session today.

"I'm fine," Xu Ran said with a smile. "However, the weather is getting colder, and it's not easy for court officials to come to the palace. From now on, let's hold court every three days."

Pei Guan choked slightly, wondering if it was because he couldn't bear to see the court officials suffer, or if His Majesty simply couldn't get up.

His Majesty is only eighteen, not yet of age. Pei Guan's heart softened for a moment, and he softened his tone to match his words: "Your Majesty is wise."

It's normal for an 18-year-old to be sleepy; as long as it doesn't interfere with his work, there's no need to be so harsh on him.

After that day, after Xu Ran finished administering acupuncture to Pei Guan at night, she would always use the excuse that she didn't need to attend the morning court the next day to stay in the side hall. The first time she did this, Xu Ran just wanted to tease him, but Pei Guan unexpectedly didn't refuse too much.

After the acupuncture treatment, Xu Ran's face was pale, and his voice was hoarseer than usual. He softened his voice and said, "Pei Guan, I'm tired. I don't want to go anymore."

The eighteen-year-old boy, having shed his imperial robes, spoke in a low voice like a spoiled young master from an ordinary family.

Pei Guan couldn't stand it anymore. He put on a stern face and offered a couple of words of advice, but then tacitly approved of this behavior.

At night, Pei Guan quietly opened his eyes. Xu Ran's face was blurry in the darkness. Pei Guan looked at him for a while, and in a daze, he saw Xu Ran's warm black eyes smiling at him.

He initially agreed to the treatment because he couldn't bear to see Xu Ran heartbroken, but gradually, he truly longed to live and stay by Xu Ran's side.

Until... the day when Xu Ran no longer needs him.

He had also seen high-ranking officials who had homosexual tendencies, who doted on their male lovers, even bringing them to public and giving them official status, but at home they had many wives and concubines, and clearly treated their male lovers with contempt.

But Xu Ran was not like that. As the ruler of a country, he never treated her lightly. As long as she stayed by his side, his eyes were always full of smiles.

How could he be so easily satisfied... Pei Guan felt a pang of bittersweetness in his heart.

*

As autumn turned to winter, Pei Guan's Reincarnation Pill finally dissipated, and he no longer needed to worry about his lifespan. However, once the Reincarnation Pill dissipated, his old wounds from the battlefield and the ailments from years of hard work began to reappear, and his body remained weak.

The imperial physician prescribed medicine, and Pei Guan was personally supervised by Xu Ran to drink it every day. The emperor showed no awareness that he should let him return to the palace, and for some reason, Pei Guan didn't mention it either.

Xu Ran calculated that once the tonic prescribed by the imperial physician was finished, the hidden dangers in the northern frontier would be resolved, and then Pei Guan could take the tonic.

The first heavy snow fell, and the weather turned bitterly cold. This winter was even more unbearable than described in the story.

When Pei Guan returned to court after a three-month hiatus, he was met with an urgent report from the long-peaceful northern border: the barbarian tribes had invaded. Unlike their usual provocations and tests, this time they came with overwhelming force, clearly intending to fight to the death.

Xu Ran looked away from Pei Guan. The deep red court robe suited him perfectly. He had only seen him once in the past few months when the barbarian tribes invaded.

An inexplicable gloom permeated the emperor's body, and the ministers were also somewhat uneasy. Although Tianqi had a strong army, the Yi people were fearless and they were still somewhat wary. With the emperor's behavior, they feared that this battle would be even more difficult.

If the system knew what they were thinking, it would definitely click its tongue. Xu Ran clearly didn't want a long-distance relationship with Xiao Pei.

"Your Majesty, the barbarians should not be underestimated. Although there are capable generals in the north, I believe that, to be on the safe side, I would like to request that the Regent go and oversee the situation."

The speaker was Du Yucheng, who was older and had a younger family member who had joined the army, so he knew the dangers involved.

Xu Ran sighed softly, about to refute his words, when Pei Guan below had already stood up.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Du's words are reasonable. I request permission to go to the northern frontier. Please grant my request."

Pei Guan's face was pale. His old wound, which had been dormant for many years, was now flaring up fiercely. He even began to regret that he shouldn't have sought the detoxification at this time...

Pei Guan knew something was wrong when he heard the military news. The current commander of the northern border was his former deputy general, Qi Panshan. This man was brave and good at fighting, but he was by no means ruthless. He was afraid that the Yi tribe would take advantage of the situation.

As soon as Du Yucheng finished speaking, he perked up and stood up to volunteer, but he was not confident, as his body was not as strong as it used to be.

His regret grew stronger. Had he known this calamity was coming, he would never have let Xu Ran detoxify him at this time.

Although the Reincarnation Pill is a harmful substance, it does allow him to maintain a relatively good condition after taking it, enabling him to protect the Tianqi kingdom for Xu Ran.

"No."

Xu Ran's voice was cold and hard, leaving no room for negotiation.