It needs to be kept in mind that "Shoku Nihongi," (Chronicle of Japan Continued) which records this incident, is a literary work from the era of Emperor Konin and Emperor Kammu, who gained the right of succession to the Imperial Throne following the Empress' death, so it is also said that it was written for the purpose of flaunting its justification.
もっとも、この事件を記した『続日本紀』が、女帝の死によって皇位継承権を得た光仁天皇・桓武天皇両天皇時代の著作で、その正当性の誇示を目的に執筆されたとも言われているため、留意する必要がある。