For that very reason, Chen Hezhi dared not act rashly. He feared that the moment he confirmed Wen Xu's royal identity, Wen Xu would be murdered. But then again, how could he possibly verify Wen Xu's origins?
With nothing but a similar face? Impossible.
A case required solid evidence. As prefect of Heaven-Following Prefecture, Chen Hezhi could not reach into the palace to investigate a birth in the imperial harem thirty years ago. After so much time, the chances of finding a lead were vanishingly small.
That was precisely why he had gone straight to the crown prince. If Wen Xu's origins were as he suspected, a meeting between the two would be the key to breaking the deadlock.
Someone would be unable to sit still. And once they stirred, they would make their move.
Judging by the morning court session and His Majesty's tacit consent today, the emperor might know nothing of Wen Xu's origins. Or perhaps... in the best-case scenario, Wen Xu was not a member of the imperial family at all, and someone else was hunting him.
But Chen Hezhi's instincts as an investigator told him that Wen Xu was. He was quite possibly the crown prince's twin brother. Only that would explain why Wen Xu "had to die."
Chen Hezhi listened to their less-than-warm conversation. Their utterly different lives had borne two utterly different fruits. The crown prince was benevolent and steady; since he had begun formally taking part in government last year, every word and gesture had carried imperial bearing. Given time, he would surely become a benevolent ruler. Wen Xu, meanwhile... fate had struck him with hardship again and again, yet he still stood alone, his spirit unbent. Chen Hezhi rarely admired anyone, but in Wen Xu he saw life at its most tenacious.