'Asanoshi metsubou no ransho (story of the beginning of fall of the Asano family)' in "Sentoku zuihitsu (essay)" written by Sentoku MIZUMA (the Haikai master of feudal retainers of Ako Domain Gengo OTAKA, Yogoro KANZAKI, Sukeemon TOMINOMORI and Sanpei KAYANO) adopted the theory the Asano family was stingy on the budget, saying as follows: "The Asano family paid only 700 ryo for the expenses to entertain Imperial envoy, which cost 1200 ryo every year, and Kira protested against it, setting them in feud and ended up in Ninjo."
水間沾徳（赤穂藩士大高源五・神崎与五郎・冨森助右衛門・萱野三平らの俳諧の師匠）の『沾徳随筆』の中にある「浅野氏滅亡之濫觴」によると「例年1200両かかる勅使饗応役の費用を浅野家は700両しか出さず、吉良がこれに異議を唱えたので両者が不和になり、刃傷の原因となった」とあり、浅野家の費用出し惜しみ説をとる。