The matter at the mine became clearer. The day after Chen Jieqi returned to the city, he went to Crown Prince's Residence.
It was said to be Crown Prince's Residence, but when the guard at the door saw the white figure, he didn't even mean to stop him.
Privately, everyone knows that His Royal Highness the Prince is a brother of the legendary captain Huangdou.
To what extent, no one can tell, but the guards only need to know,
This person, enter directly.
After passing through the vestibule and bypassing the screen wall, the attendant led him into the second door. The stone path wound around and at the end was a sleeping pavilion.
Xue Qinghe is sitting in the pavilion, with a chessboard in front of him, with black and white pieces scattered in an orderly manner.
As if she was playing music, she wore a moon-white uniform today, with her hair half pulled up in a bun. She was a little less dignified and a little more casual than usual.
Hearing the footsteps, she raised her head and raised the corners of her mouth slightly.
"Here you come? Sit down."
Chen Jieqi sat down opposite her. Without any false courtesy, the attendant brought tea.
They retreated quietly, leaving only the two of them in the yard.
Xue Qinghe dropped a piece, picked up the teacup, and gently scraped away the foam.
"Have you visited that piece of land?"
"Have seen it."
Chen Jieqi picked up a sunspot,
"The terrain is better than expected. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and open on one side. There is plenty of underground river water.
Mines can be transformed into underground spaces."
"That's good."
Xue Qinghe Put down the teacup,
"I'm afraid that land won't suit your liking."
Chen Jieqi move.
"Brother Xue chose a place that is certainly not bad."
Xue Qinghe's mouth curved a little wider, but he didn't answer.
She made another move, this time very slowly, holding the chess piece in her fingers.
It hung above the chessboard for a moment before gently putting it down.
"I heard that you went to the Ye Family a few days ago?"
Chen Jieqi There is no accident. Heaven Dou City's affairs cannot be hidden from her.
"Go with grandpa to reminisce about old times."
"Reminiscing about old times?"
Xue Qinghe glanced at him with a smile in his eyes,
"You do know how to talk."
Chen Jieqi didn't explain, and Xue Qinghe didn't ask any questions. She lowered her head and focused on the chess game.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the chessboard twice.
"Ye Family's Nine-Heart Begonia is indeed rare."
She suddenly spoke,
"However, they have been severely suppressed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in recent years and are very wary.
It's not easy to get them to let go."
"I haven't let go yet."
Chen Jieqi luzi, "It's just a crack."
"It's enough to open the slit."
Xue Qinghe picked up a white stone,
"What you are best at is prying cracks into doors."
Chen Jieqi raised his eyes and looked at her.
Her expression was as usual and she was focused on the chess game, as if the words she just said were just casual.
The yard was quiet for a while, except for the crisp sound of chess pieces falling on the chessboard.
"Brother Xue," Chen Jieqi put down the teacup,
"I have something to ask you."
"Say."
"Defense Clan, how much do you know?"
Xue Qinghe's movements paused slightly, and then he settled down as if nothing had happened.
"Defense Clan, one of Four Single-Attribute Clans, the patriarch Niu Gao, Soul Douluo, Martial Soul Plate Armor Giant Rhino,
He is good at construction and defense. He had a close relationship with the Clear Sky Sect in his early years. After the Clear Sky Sect retired,
They then moved their whole family to the Star Luo Empire Longxing City, where they lived in a quiet corner.
She paused and glanced at Chen Jieqi.
"You want to use them?"
"I have this idea." Chen Jieqi did not deny it.
"To start construction of the mine, we need a reliable construction team."
"It's a good idea, but it's not easy."
Xue Qinghe picked up the teacup,
"And they are far away at the Star Luo Empire. They are extremely vigilant and outsiders cannot get in at all."
"So I want to use Yang Wudi to pull the strings."
Xue Qinghe glanced at him, his eyes a little more scrutinizing,
"You should sort out the relationship."
Chen Jieqi did not answer the call.
Xue Qinghe was silent for a moment and suddenly said,
"Defense Clan, I can help you say hello, but..."
She paused and said, "I also have conditions."
Chen Jieqi raised his head.
"It's not a difficult thing." Xue Qinghe said in a relaxed tone.
"After your mine is completed, leave me a quiet room. It doesn't need to be big, just quiet."
Chen Jieqi was startled for a moment.
As a prince, where is the quiet room?
To leave a room in his base in the wild mountains, it is obvious that he has other plans.
But he didn't ask further questions and just nodded.
"Okay."
Xue Qinghe smiled slightly, and there was something inexplicable in that smile, like relief, or something else.
The chess game continued, and another dozen moves were played. The situation gradually became clear. Chen Jieqi had a strong black stone.
Xue Qinghe's white stones surrounded a few corners, but the situation was over.
She looked at the chessboard and shook her head.
"You can't play anymore. You're a guy who can't even play chess without leaving a way for others to survive."
"Brother Xue Leave me."
"I didn't let it."
Xue Qinghe stood up, walked to the edge of the pavilion, and looked at the green bamboos in the courtyard. The wind blew over,
Bamboo leaves rustled, and a few fell on her shoulders, but she did not brush them.
"Xiao Qi."
"Hmm~"
"You said, if a person knows from a young age that the path he takes is not his own choice,
In the end, will you forget who you are?"
Chen Jieqi was silent for a while.
"The road is dead, but people are alive." He said,
"As you walk, you may find your own path."
Xue Qinghe didn't look back. She stood there with her back to him and didn't speak for a long time.
She remembered that when she was nine years old, she was sent to Heaven Dou City and entered the prince's mansion as a maid.
She was still young at that time, serving tea and water, sweeping the courtyard every day, and watching the real Xue Qinghe reading and practicing martial arts.
It took her three years to learn every expression, tone, and connection of his.
Then, he "got sick".
No one doubts that it is normal for a person who is frail and sick to be bedridden from time to time.
After becoming "sick", the other two princes also died suddenly and inexplicably.
Later, he was canonized as the crown prince... No, it was her who bore his name and became the crown prince of Heaven Dou.
She remembered the way the "real Xue Qinghe" looked at her last time. It was not anger, not fear.
It's something she still doesn't want to remember.
She thought she had long been used to it, but just now, she suddenly felt that maybe she could have her own way.
But she didn't know where that road would lead.
She realized that she had said too much. She had never said these thoughts to anyone.
I don't know why I almost said it today.
She stopped talking and turned around, her face regaining its usual calmness.
"It's getting late, you should go back."
Chen Jieqi stood up, did not salute, just glanced at her, then turned and walked out.
"Xiao Qi."
He stopped.
"That piece of land," Xue Qinghe's voice came from behind,
"I don't give it casually."
Chen Jieqi turned back and looked at her.
She stood in the bamboo shadow, her moon-white robe was blown up by the wind, and the expression on her face was unclear.
"I know." He said.
Then he left.
Xue Qinghe stood there, watching his back disappear outside the courtyard gate.
She lowered her head and looked at the endgame on the chessboard. The black stones were strong and the white stones were trapped in a corner. No matter how you looked at it, you were losing.
She stretched out her hand, picked up a white coin, put it in her palm, and held it tightly.
"The road is dead, but people are alive."
She repeated this sentence in a low voice, with a bitter smile on her lips.
She let go of her hand, and the white piece fell on the chessboard with a crisp sound.
It bounced twice and rolled to the ground.
At this time, the wind blew down a few bamboo leaves, covering Bai Zi.