I'm referring to the use of deception. It shouldn't be a big deal to disguise or hide a still living man of such caliber. If kept safely and securely, there is no need to kill, and the prospect of preserving this life/asset was abandoned too quickly by our hero. The 'no business' is to mean that the palace isn't privy to regular people or tourists, so housing a living member of the government should pose little enough threat to be warranted. His living would have also been a boon for 1st wife's moral.

My issue is, they didn't spend enough time cutting off the logistical reasons to spare him to convince me even slightly that it was the optimal route.