Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 24 Open the door quickly! I'm a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The organization sent me to bring you warmth.

bang bang bang!
"Xu Yuanfang, come out and pay the rent!" The door of the dilapidated house was almost smashed to pieces, and the landlord's voice was quite majestic.

Xu Yuanfang was writing at his desk when he was startled by the shout, and his hand holding the pen trembled involuntarily.

Ugly ink stains spread across the yellowed, worn paper, covering a large area of ​​the originally written, tiny characters. Seeing that the paper was ruined, Xu Yuanfang felt a pang of heartache and almost cried.

Although the paper is a bit old, it's Xuan paper, which costs three qian of silver per ream, and several wen per sheet. He can't even bear to eat that much.

However, he had no time to grieve. The urging from outside grew more urgent, and a variety of harsh words came pouring in, so he had no choice but to get up and open the door.

"Oh, my Lord Xu, you've finally deigned to open the door! I called for so long without a single response; I thought you'd starved to death inside. Look at your impoverished state, you can't even afford food, yet you're trying to learn how to compile books? No wonder you're poor!"

Faced with the homeowner's sarcasm, Xu Yuanfang did not argue with her. Instead, he bowed and scraped, forced a smile, and said, "Madam Li, last month's salary has not yet been paid. Please give me some more time. Once the salary is paid, I will convert it into silver for you."

"Give me a grace period?! You still owe me a month's rent from last year, are you going to keep denying it this year? Let me tell you, there are plenty of people who want to rent my place, I don't need you. If you can't afford it, get out!"

Xu Yuanfang's face turned pale and then red, but he still pleaded, "I won't deny it, I will definitely pay it back, I will definitely pay it back, please forgive me for a few more days, Madam Li."

He, a dignified seven-foot-tall man, was about to kneel down.

The other officials in the courtyard were also drawn by the commotion. Although many of their colleagues looked reluctant, not one of them stepped forward to offer to cover Xu Yuanfang's expenses. Because the place was inhabited entirely by poor people, or rather, poor officials, it was jokingly called "the branch of the Censorate," a gathering place for a large number of impoverished officials and scholars.

Forty rooms were crammed with over a hundred people. The tenants' daily diet consisted mainly of "half a month's worth of bran and vegetables." There were even cases where the tenants were stripped of their official robes in the street to pay off their collective rent arrears.

The poor man stripped of his official robes was Xu Yuanfang's adoptive father, Xu Xianqing. He was called adoptive father because he was adopted. Xu Xianqing eventually became the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel during the Wanli era, but he was so poor in the Hanlin Academy in his early years that he urinated blood, and he left no money after his death.

Xu Yuanfang had no hope for an official career. He only had the opportunity to enter the Imperial Academy because of his father's influence, but lacking the funds to bribe officials, he waited over a decade before being assigned to a position as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. His monthly salary was five shi (a unit of dry measure), a meager amount, but for someone as physically weak as him, it was enough to survive. However, the court didn't pay him a salary; what could he do?

Xu Yuanfang's biggest dream in life was to compile and edit his father's manuscripts, which he named "Tianyuanlou Collection".

His father had lived a life of poverty, only to be impeached for corruption in the end. He harbored a deep resentment and wanted to clear his father's name, but now the opportunity was gone. As long as this book could be passed down to future generations, at least it could leave his father with a decent posthumous reputation, which would be his way of fulfilling his filial duty as the stepson.

"And you lot, what are you looking at? Do you even have the nerve to look? You've been officials and haven't made a single penny. You're not even as well off as some lowly clerks. Aren't you ashamed? You might as well go home and farm. The capital isn't a place for you stinking beggars from out of town!" The homeowner launched a scathing attack on everyone.

The crowd was initially excited, but upon looking at their own thin arms and legs, and then at the shrew's large and robust figure, they immediately lost heart. They could only mutter incomprehensible words like "bad luck" and "disgraceful" before turning back into the house and becoming cowards.

"I'll give you at most half a month. If you can't pay up, I'll confiscate your official uniform and get out of here!"

"Yes, yes, I thank you, Madam Li," Xu Yuanfang said with a fawning smile.

Back in the house, Xu Yuanfang picked up his brush, wanting to continue writing, but his mind went blank. All he could hear were the landlord's harsh words: "You stinking outsider, you might as well go back home and farm."

"I should resign and go home. I still have a few acres of poor land. I haven't seen Xijun in a long time, and the children probably won't even recognize me." Thinking of this, Xu Yuanfang's vision blurred.

bang bang bang!
The banging on the door started again.

"What's going on? Can't I even cry in peace?" Xu Yuanfang was so aggrieved he was about to explode. He wiped away his tears haphazardly, opened the door, and was startled to see that the person who came in was a member of the Imperial Guard.

However, after thinking it over, he couldn't recall that he had embezzled or committed any crimes. So, calming himself down a bit, he mustered his courage, cupped his hands, and asked, "Gentlemen, what brings you here to see me?"

"Why is this person crying?!" the Imperial Guard exclaimed in surprise.

“Being scared to tears is nothing; some people even wet themselves in fear,” another person said.

Xu Yuanfang blushed slightly.

"Alright, you two, shut up. Xu Yuanfang, right? He's a compiler at the Hanlin Academy and a native of Changmen County, Suzhou Prefecture."

"Why are you checking my household registration?" Xu Yuanfang was starting to get scared. Even if he was innocent, there were plenty of innocent people who went to jail. But he knew he couldn't avoid it, so he gritted his teeth and admitted it.

"Don't be afraid, we're not here to arrest you. Hand over everything," the junior officer shouted.

"One jar of lard, nine catties and eight taels; one shi and six dou of white rice; one bolt of cotton cloth; twenty catties of charcoal; one ream of Xuan paper; three rabbit-hair bamboo-handled brushes; half a tael of ink sticks; five hundred copper coins," the junior officer recited skillfully.

Xu Yuanfang stared blankly as the Imperial Guards moved things into his house. His rented house was only a few feet square, and it was almost completely crammed in.

"Lord Xu, please check the materials and then sign them," the junior officer said.

After speaking, he handed Xu Yuanfang a form with the words "Living Subsidy for Officials of the Eighth Rank and Below in the Capital of the Great Ming Dynasty" printed on it. The form listed the specific items and quantities of supplies. The form required the recipient's signature, the recipient's official seal, and the certification of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) officer who delivered the supplies.

Xu Yuanfang opened the bag of grain and looked at the white, fresh rice. He felt like he was dreaming. His hands trembled as he signed his name on the form.

"Three copies, keep this one for yourself." With that, the junior officer pulled out a copy and handed it to Xu Yuanfang.

"His Majesty's decree," the junior officer said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuanfang was startled and knelt down, facing the main hall of the palace. The other Imperial Guards also quieted down and stood solemnly to the side.

"His Majesty said, work hard, eat more, and don't starve yourself. If you really can't make ends meet, you can come directly to the Southern Garrison Command to beg for food. I've arranged for someone here to take care of this matter."

I am also short of money, but I will do everything in my power to support you all. Also, this is a subsidy from my private treasury, not included in your salary. Don't forget to ask your superiors for your salary.

"Alright, that's settled then. When you are worthy to stand before me, I will speak with you in detail. So be it!"

"Your Majesty, I, Xu Yuanfang, thank you!" He slammed his head heavily to the ground, his forehead scratched by tiny pebbles that drew out a few drops of blood.

"Let's go, next one," the junior officer said indifferently. He was used to seeing similar scenes today; even when he received his subsidy, it was the same.

Thank you to readers 2971, Spring Wildball, and 2127 for the generous donations.

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(End of this chapter)