Wang Shiyang understood very well that although the appearance of Myanmar had solved almost all of the Daming's headaches, and although Xiao Ruxun's previous battles seemed to have given the Daming a good way to solve his current predicament, they were truly treating the symptoms and not the root of the problem. Moving the problem to another place was not the same as solving the problem.
The Daming's problem had not been solved at all. Everything was just temporarily covered up. One day, Myanmar would not be able to support so many people. One day, the Daming would suddenly find that there were not many people left to pay taxes. They would find that the population was getting smaller and smaller, and they would all go to Myanmar!
At that time, Myanmar would not be able to support so many people, but the interior of the Daming would continue to produce refugees. The rich and powerful would obtain more and more land, and the land and population under the direct control of the Daming would decrease. This was the sign of a change in dynasty. This was the sign of a change in dynasty since ancient times!
Wang Shiyang had never thought that the Daming would reach this day. The Daming had staggered for more than two hundred years. He thought that the Daming could continue to walk, but now, he was shocked to find that the Daming seemed to be beyond cure. It was unknown when the Daming would collapse and disintegrate.
Was this the cultivation of morality and family, the governance of the country, and the peace of the world that scholars pursued? Was this the benevolence that Kong Sheng spoke of? Is this what the scholars think of as a prosperous country and a peaceful people?
He clearly saw some beasts in human clothing barking madly in the temples!
Daming! Daming! Where had the Daming gone?
This was something that Wang Shiyang did not understand.
Understanding this matter was difficult, but it was not impossible. Xiao Ruxun understood a part of it, but he did not fully understand it. However, at this moment, he did not have the mood to think about the Daming's future, because the Daming's eyes were already in a mess.
Perhaps it was because the heavens had curtains hanging down from the sky, but the night before, there had been a heavy snowfall. The heavy snowfall had forcibly extinguished the flames that had already been burning in Taiyuan City. A fire that should have been unstoppable had been mercilessly suppressed by the power of nature just like that.
For the current situation that Taiyuan City was facing, this was undoubtedly a blessing from the heavens.
The snow extinguished the fire in Taiyuan City and preserved the city's foundation. The walls of Taiyuan City were not damaged, and its basic function as a military fortress was still there. However, as a city that was suitable for living, Taiyuan City was temporarily unable to do so.
By the time Xiao Ruxun and his troops arrived at Taiyuan City, the city was already covered in snow. Everyone was dressed in silver. If it were not for the pungent smell of smoke, no one would have thought that Taiyuan City was once a city.
The Northern Invaders retreated after occupying Taiyuan City for eight hours, which was also eight hours before Xiao Ruxun arrived. They left in the direction of the west, and there were already scouts following them. It was not difficult to tell that they were heading back.
According to the reports of the sentries, they burned, killed, and looted. They almost completely razed Taiyuan City to the ground, taking away large amounts of gold, silver, jewelry, and some rations. They left just like that, leaving behind a miserable Taiyuan City.
Almost all of the officials in Taiyuan City had died. The general defending Taiyuan City had died in battle, and many soldiers had died in battle. However, most of the soldiers had collapsed when the Northern Barbarians entered the city.
The sentries questioned the survivors in the city. Some people gave them information that shocked them. When the first group of Northern Barbarians appeared in the city and started to set fire, the four walls were still in the hands of the Ming Army. Even though the Northern Barbarians had already started to attack the city, the city should not have been broken through.
However, the Northern Barbarians suddenly appeared and set fire to most of the government facilities, including the King Of Jin's palace. They also wiped out the rich and influential families. The area where the rich lived in Taiyuan City was almost completely wiped out. Many of the rich families in the city were killed. It was said that the Northern Barbarians kidnapped many of the daughters of the rich families before they left.
Looking at the Ming Army's flag drooping listlessly on top of Taiyuan City, Xiao Ruxun's heart was heavy.
However, he did not have much time to stay. After taking care of the matters in Taiyuan City, he was going to continue to pursue the Northern Barbarians. He was not going to let this group of Northern Barbarians safely return to their territory. He was going to take care of them within the Great Wall. This was the price they had to pay.
Inside the city, the snow covered many things, making everything less desolate. However, Xiao Ruxun's heart still had a sense of desolation that could not be erased. It was not only because of what he saw here, but also because of the incomparably ugly things that he did not see.
After the Northern Barbarians left, many gold and silver treasures that the Northern Barbarians did not take away or destroy were left behind in the city. There was also a lot of food. At first, no one discovered it, so everyone lived in harmony and helped each other. However, as these things were discovered, finally, the ferocious beast hidden in people's hearts was released.
People began to fight over it. You snatched mine, I snatched yours. In short, it was a blessing to snatch it. Once you snatched it, you ran. However, more and more people came after hearing the news. Those who snatched it did not have time to run away before they were bumped into by others. Then, there was another round of fighting.
Then, the government army came.
A group of more than a hundred people from the Ming Army, led by an officer, brandished steel knives and long spears and killed more than seventy Taiyuan commoners. They forcibly took over the food and gold and silver. They announced that the gold, silver, treasures, and food belonged to the Taiyuan government and that no one was allowed to steal it. Those who did would be executed.
However, the originally smooth government order became useless in the face of the choice of survival or death. The commoners, who were usually as docile as sheep, suddenly exploded under the impact of hunger and cold.
It was unknown who took the lead, but they gathered more than a thousand refugees. They held all kinds of carrying poles, wooden sticks, and hoes. They surrounded the more than one hundred Ming soldiers. Then, they used their advantage in numbers to beat the hundred people to death and take over the gold, silver, and jewelry. But almost immediately, another group of Ming soldiers appeared.
There was nothing to say. It was another confrontation between the government and the commoners. Neither side's goal was honorable, so no one had the nerve to criticize the other. A round of killing ensued. This time, the commoners were forced back by the three hundred government soldiers who were well prepared with bows and guns. The government soldiers once again obtained the items and prepared to transport them away.
They had already made preparations to leave Taiyuan City.
However, their actions completely infuriated Sourcepeak City's commoners. The commoners who had been pushed back gathered once more with astonishing speed, surrounding them once more. Moreover, this time, they pushed over large carts, straw piles, and other things to defend themselves, almost completely wiping out this group of soldiers as well.
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