As for a conflict with MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune, Hakuseki ARAI's view was that attacking Yoshitsune, who took rank with Ason (second highest of the eight hereditary titles), in Kyoto was not an act of a subject and the reason of the attack was because Yoshitsune received imperial accolades, as well as fearing Yoshitsune's tactics.
源義経との対立に関しては、朝臣に列していた義経を京で襲ったことは、臣たる者の仕業では無いとし、襲った理由は、義経が朝賞に預かったと共に、義経の用兵を恐れたからだとする。