According to various biographical materials such as "Giko kojitsu," Mitsukuni in his youth who was educated as an heir of the Mito Tokugawa family committed some acts of delinquency, but came to regret what he had done and study hard after he read the chapter Hakuiden of "Shiki" and was moved by Hakui and Syukusei, and then aspired to compile history.
『義公行実』など各種伝記史料によれば、水戸徳川家世子として教育を受けていた青年時代の光圀は非行も多かったが、正保2年（1645年）に『史記』「伯夷伝」を読んで伯夷・叔斉に感銘を受け、以来は反省して学問に精励し、史書編纂を志したという。