Several provinces simultaneously encountered a drought, and even though the Imperial Court actively provided disaster relief, distributing food and drought-resistant seed grains, it was still not enough to completely solve the problem.
After August, many cities saw a large number of refugees gathering outside their walls.
Initially, officials from the disaster-stricken provinces were unwilling to allow the refugees to migrate to Xiliang, as the population under their jurisdiction was tied to their annual performance.
But when September arrived and the weather began to turn cold, some officials started to feel restless.
There was no choice; in the north, October was already very cold, and some places even started to see snow. With a lack of clothing and food, the situation of refugees starving or freezing to death was going to rise sharply.
