If Ye Shikai remembered correctly, the characters engraved on the meteor should be "Emperor Qin Shi Huang Dies and the Land Divides." This was a curse directed at him. Whether it was so-called "heaven’s will" or villagers carving a curse for revenge, it was a major event, because it was a meteor. In the eyes of the ancients, changes in celestial phenomena were often related to the dynasty’s succession. From a modern perspective, this might seem superstitious, but Emperor Qin Shi Huang might not think so.

Ye Shikai immediately led people to the meteor’s crash site. Sure enough, there were faint engravings of large characters on it.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang Dies and the Land Divides.

Ye Shikai didn’t believe in the concept of "heaven’s will." This was most likely carved by nearby villagers using knives, but there was no surveillance here, making it impossible to find out who did it.

If things proceed according to history, the nearby villagers will all be killed due to this sentence.

"Sir, this meteor fell here last night. According to nearby villagers, at first, it was like a gigantic fireball, emitting a glowing red light, and people could feel the burning sensation from over ten meters away. It took a whole day for the meteor to cool down." A soldier reported.

"Such a high temperature, could it really be carved by people?" Ye Shikai murmured.

"General, what’s written on it? I don’t recognize characters. Could you take a look?"

"What’s there to look at? Everyone disperse. Not a word of today’s events is to be leaked. Otherwise, you’ll be severely punished according to military law." Ye Shikai suddenly shouted in agitation, startling the soldiers.

"Understood... Understood."

Ye Shikai ordered the soldiers to guard the site, prohibiting anyone from approaching, especially the nearby villagers. If this mess spreads from one to ten to hundreds, the situation will become much worse.

Twenty thousand soldiers guarded the area for a full two days. The East County Meteor incident spread like an epidemic. Soon, not only the villagers from East County but also those from He Nei County rushed over. Ye Shikai became somewhat irritable. Do villagers of this time already love to "watch the spectacle"?

On the third day, late at night, outside the military camp.

"Who goes there? Why come here at midnight? State your name." The guard asked upon seeing a group of Qin Army soldiers outside the camp.

"Young man, I am Commander Han Hao from He Nei County, a friend of your General. I come here at night for urgent military affairs. Please report this." The leading general said calmly. The guard came forward with a torch and immediately opened the road.

"So it’s Lord Han. I apologize deeply for my earlier rudeness. Truthfully, I also came out from He Nei County following General Ye and was once your subordinate."

"That’s even better. We have urgent military affairs. Please report quickly." Han Hao nodded.

"Understood."

...............

"Lord Han, why didn’t you notify me when you led your troops here? I had no time to prepare." Ye Shikai quickly lit up the tent and invited Han Hao to the main seat.

"I came as per the decree and dared not to delay. I mobilized thirty thousand troops and have not rested for three days." Han Hao explained.

"Bring out the wine. I must have a good drink with Lord Han." Ye Shikai laughed, realizing it had been months since they last met. As Ye Shikai’s former superior, Han Hao had helped him numerous times before. Ye Shikai was not an ungrateful person, and whenever Han Hao requested help, he always gave it his all, making sure to fulfill the mission.

"Earlier, Lord Han said you came by decree. Whose decree was it?" During the wine banquet, Ye Shikai subtly inquired, though he had already guessed internally. As Commander of a county, Han Hao was only given orders by one person—the Emperor far away in Xianyang.

"Of course, it was the military command from Xianyang. The Emperor already knows about the East County Meteor. To prevent a rebellion, he immediately ordered heavy troops to guard the meteor. Since the meteor fell between two counties, I also received military orders to lead troops here." Han Hao explained.

"I see." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Ye, we’ve had our drinks and talked about old times. Isn’t it time to discuss some serious matters?" Han Hao put down his wine cup and suddenly turned serious.

"Please speak, Lord Han."

"Is there writing on this meteor?" Han Hao asked directly, jolting Ye Shikai’s hand.

"Cough, cough, I’m not sure about that." Ye Shikai replied evasively.

"Really? You’ve been here for two or three days, right? You should have at least seen the meteor, no? The words engraved on it..." Han Hao gestured along his neck, mimicking a "beheading" sign.

"That warrants a death penalty."

Clearly, Han Hao already knew. Ye Shikai sighed internally, realizing that the sentence "Emperor Qin Shi Huang Dies and the Land Divides" had somehow spread. Han Hao probably refrained from stating it outright, hoping Ye Shikai would mention it himself.

"Those words were likely engraved by some rebel army, to curse the emperor. I’ve already dispatched soldiers to investigate. There are many active rebel groups nearby, and once caught, I’ll interrogate them immediately."

"Really? Are you so certain it was those rebel troops who wrote it?" Han Hao retorted.

"Who else could it be?"

"The Emperor does not believe so. Ying Huo Shou Xin indicates a major event is happening. The Empire has experienced many issues recently, causing much distress to the Emperor." Han Hao shook his head. "The words on the meteor are known to the Emperor. Ye, don’t be curious. The Emperor has ways beyond our understanding."

"Alright, I won’t hide it from you anymore. This time, I have received the Emperor’s secret decree." Han Hao clapped his hands, and a Deputy General stepped forward to present the Imperial Decree.

"This is the Emperor’s secret decree to me." Han Hao said calmly. "Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the execution of all civilians within a fifty-mile radius of the meteor’s crash site, leaving none, to prevent the secret of the meteor from being revealed."

"What?" Ye Shikai exclaimed loudly. He could no longer remain calm. Within a fifty-mile radius, there are tens of thousands of civilians. Could they really be put to death without distinction?

"Lord Han, it’s clear these words were engraved by rebels to confuse the public and unsettle the hearts of the people. How can we indiscriminately execute everyone? Furthermore, as Qin Army generals, we should protect the country and its people, not slaughter civilians." Ye Shikai countered.

"Precisely because we are generals, we must be loyal to the Emperor. This is the Emperor’s secret decree, with no chance for change. Even if we don’t want to, there’s no possibility for any alteration."