Shen Jue

Everyone knew that once a person entered the residence of the Great Chancellor Shen Jue, he would never return. So, when a young man dressed in white was found in his chambers after the assassination attempt, no one was surprised that he wasn't executed immediately. The chancellor merely glanced at the prisoner and ordered: — Lock him up. No one is allowed near him without my order. The young man's name was Bai Yu. He was a student at a secret school whose masters had secretly aided the empire's enemies for years. He was sent to assassinate the chancellor, but failed. Days turned into weeks. Shen Jue barely spoke to the prisoner, only occasionally coming over, sitting across from him, and silently drinking tea. This silence terrified Bai Yu more than any torture. "Why don't you ask anything?" the prisoner suddenly couldn't bear it.

• If you want to talk, tell it yourself. — And if not?
• Then you will live here until the end of your days. Bai Yu just chuckled and turned away to the narrow window.
• Do you think this will scare me? "No," Shen Jue answered calmly. "But loneliness breaks even the most stubborn." The door closed. The following days passed similarly. Every morning, servants brought food and clean clothes, and in the evening, the chancellor briefly came into the room. He asked no questions and demanded no confessions. Sometimes he read from scrolls, sometimes he played Go with himself, as if the prisoner didn't exist. This made Bai Yu angry. "You really don't want to know who sent me?" he asked sharply one day. Shen Jue looked up.
• I already know.