Using cannons against refugees is indeed something the Empire would do, or to be more precise, it's quite normal in this world. Due to low productivity, once a major disaster strikes, it's fundamentally impossible to support so many people, and it's quite obvious what these refugees will turn into. It's better to give the refugees a cannonball than food. This is the Lord's mercy. After all, the Lords within the city walls can't see it, and if they can't see it, it doesn't exist. If there are no refugees, then the Empire is thriving, and peace and prosperity reign across the land.
This artillery unit thought the same. How hard could it be to fire at some refugees?
