Chapter 132: Light Sentence
After sending the old lady back to her room, Liang Weiyuan invited Ye Zhonglin to take her pulse and prescribe medicine, asking the old lady to recuperate carefully and instructing Yu's mother and son to stay in the second room.
As for the old lady's 60th birthday banquet, Huo Jinjian took control of the situation and ended it hastily.
The next day, Marquis Huo hurriedly boarded a carriage to the palace, carrying a box containing account books and returned stolen silver bills.
The main hall was filled with a solemn atmosphere. The old lady could not lie down, so she sat in the first seat and stood ready with the rest of the family, holding the crutch tightly.
"Grandma, the doctor said you need to calm down and not worry too much."
Liang Weiyuan gently brewed some tea and handed it over. "Father is sincere this time and has returned the stolen money. I don't think the Emperor will be too harsh on us."
Her voice was as cool as morning dew, and she said softly and soothingly, "Besides, Censor Zhang promised to say a few good words to the Emperor."
With these two approaches, even if the emperor is still furious, the lives of the marquis will not be in jeopardy.
Huo Jin also shook his grandmother's hand, his brows sharp and steady, "There's still time for everything."
What the old lady feared most was that these two children would be implicated.
Right now, her grandchildren and granddaughters-in-law are more stable than this old woman.
The old lady held the hands of the two tightly, and especially when she looked at Liang Weiyuan, a hint of vicissitudes of life and warmth flashed in her eyes.
"Wei Yuan, you've barely slept these past few days because of the account book issue. Look, you even have dark circles under your eyes."
"Since you married me, you haven't even had time to enjoy happiness, and now you have to suffer this misfortune!"
She is an incompetent grandmother!
If the decree comes down, the Huo family will not be able to escape the blame, and she will get rid of her grandson's wife even if she has to risk her old bones!
Liang Weiyuan smiled and said lightly: "Granddaughter-in-law is fine. Once this matter is settled, she can just sleep for a day."
As he was speaking, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the yard.
Marquis Huo walked in quickly. His square face still had some paleness from surviving a disaster, but now he looked very happy.
"Mother! The Emperor, the Emperor has shown leniency!"
Hearing this, Huo Jinjian and Liang Weiyuan looked at each other, and instantly saw relief in each other's eyes.
"What did the emperor say?" The old lady stood up and asked sternly.
Marquis Huo took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp before he breathed a sigh of relief.
"The emperor was furious at first. He threw the account book in front of me and said the Huo family had betrayed his trust."
Thinking of the scene at that time, Marquis Huo still felt a lingering fear.
"I knelt on the ground, confessed all the crimes I had to confess, and was willing to return all the stolen money. I followed my mother's instructions and said I would leave it to the emperor to deal with."
"Then Lord Zhang stood up and said that our Huo family has been loyal for generations. Although we were wrong this time, it is rare for them to voluntarily return the stolen goods and apologize!"
Marquis Huo's face showed deep gratitude as he said, "Lord Zhang persuaded me with both reason and emotion. Considering Jin Jian's illustrious military exploits in Mobei and Wei Yuan's rigorous stewardship, they are both outstanding young men in the capital, and no one else in the Marquis's mansion has touched a single piece of stolen money..."
Liang Weiyuan's heart warmed slightly. It turned out that Censor Zhang really did as the old lady had asked and spoke well of them in front of the emperor.
"The Emperor's expression softened slightly after hearing these pleas," Marquis Huo continued. "The Emperor, mindful of the Huo family's past achievements and our sincere attitude, has relinquished our title!"
"They only fined me three years' salary and ordered me to discipline my family and never let such a shameful thing happen again."
Marquis Huo felt extremely grateful.
God knows what happened at that moment was full of twists and turns, which almost scared him to death. Fortunately, Censor Zhang’s eloquence saved the situation!
At this point, the gloomy solemnity in the hall faded a little.
The old lady sat down again and listened to Marquis Huo's report about the audience with the emperor. Although her expression relaxed at this moment, the sharpness in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
"You also heard that, although the emperor didn't strip you of your title, you've already lost most of the reputation of the 'Huo family'!"
Looking at Marquis Huo standing in front of him, he was wearing an official robe, but his expression was full of joy. He had long lost the dignified and decent demeanor of the former lord of the marquisate.
"If this continues, the Huo family will collapse before anyone else can do anything!"
Marquis Huo rubbed his hands together, avoiding looking at the old lady. He knew his mother was telling the truth. If it weren't for Wei Yuan's carefulness and Jin Jian's patience, the Huo family would have suffered the same fate as before.
His Adam's apple moved, and he stammered, "Mother, I know I was wrong. I will discipline you strictly in the future and will never make mistakes again..."
"Later?" The old lady sneered and knocked her cane hard. "By the time you wake up, the grass on the Huo family's grave will be three feet tall!"
She suddenly raised her voice, staring at Marquis Huo with her cloudy and dignified eyes, "Tomorrow, you will submit a memorial to the Emperor, asking for His Majesty's permission to give the title to Jin Jian."
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