An eerie silence fell over the dining table, the only sound being the sound of Qingping Hou chewing vegetables.

The illegitimate sons and daughters, who had been eating quickly, realized something was amiss and quietly put down their chopsticks.

Marquis Qingping could no longer keep up the act, and he looked up at Qi Yunxiao.

“The family is short of money and has high expenses. Your mother is right. You should take out five thousand taels first.”

Qi Yunxiao replied calmly, "My father is a marquis, and he receives an annual salary. How could it not be enough?"

“My wife and three children used to spend no more than ten taels of silver a year.”

"The Qingping Marquis's residence doesn't even have forty masters, does it? One hundred taels should be enough, right? Your salary is more than one hundred taels!"

Since you care about your reputation, I'll tear it off!

Qi Yunheng had been holding back his words for a long time, but he finally couldn't hold back any longer: "One hundred taels a year? A meal at Guiyun Tower costs one hundred taels of silver! What nonsense are you talking about, elder brother?"

Qi Yunxiao shrugged: "Then you can't blame me. I can make sure everyone has a meal, but I don't have the ability to get the people in the manor to go to Guiyun Tower to show off their wealth!"

"Brother, you can't compare our Qingping Marquis's mansion to the lives of country folk! We associate with young masters from prominent families, how can we be so shabby?"

Qi Yunheng truly felt wronged.

Everything has been fine all these years, and my elder brother has been sending money home every year, providing at least ten thousand taels of silver as a subsidy.

Why are you suddenly starting to nitpick?

He usurped his position as heir apparent, and now he's unwilling to give his family money?

That's so cunning!

Qi Yunxiao's eyes turned cold.