Tan Wenjie, prefect of the Capital Prefecture, had paid an unexpected visit to the First-Rank Residence. Although he had said nothing beyond the business at hand, Bei Chen's heart bobbed uneasily up and down.
As Bei Chen saw it, no one visited a temple without a reason, much less a high-ranking official like this one.
Still, the taut string in Bei Chen's heart had never slackened.
What was this prefect's true purpose?
While Bei Chen privately pondered this, Tan Wenjie, who had taken his leave of Bei Chen and departed alone, walked some distance before boarding an utterly ordinary-looking carriage.
"My lord, did you learn anything?"
He had barely entered when a quiet voice posed the question from inside the carriage.
Tan Wenjie took off his Veil Hat and sat down. At the question, he shook his head slightly. "No. I did not make my purpose known."
"You did not? Why did you change your mind at the last moment, my lord?" the man asked again, unmistakable surprise in his voice.
"It is rare to have an opportunity like this, when you can go out alone without outsiders knowing. I wonder why you..."
Tan Wenjie waved a hand. "I believe the time is not yet right."
With that, Tan Wenjie lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked outside several times. After lowering it, he dropped his voice again and addressed the man beside him. "Can your people confirm that they saw a man at the First-Rank Residence who might have been the Marquis of Anguo's Heir Apparent?"
The man beside him said, "Only his voice sounded somewhat similar. His appearance was entirely different."
Tan Wenjie gave him a disapproving look. "How could someone as cautious as the Heir Apparent possibly show his true face? Besides, how did your