According to the description of July 8, 884 in "Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku," when Mototsune was requested on June 7 of the same year by the Emperor Koko to assume state affairs (although this request is generally believed to have been the beginning of his tenure of Kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor), it could have been the request to continue to serve as Dajodaijin (grand minister) or Sessho (regent) since the word "Kanpaku" was used for the first time in the shochoku issued by Emperor Uda in 887), he once declined and used in his reply the phrase of "I wonder whether I can fulfill Ako's responsibilities even though I work hard regardless of heat and cold."
『日本三代実録』元慶8年7月8日条によれば、同年6月7日に光孝天皇から政務の要請された（通常、これを関白の開始とするが、「関白」という言葉自体は宇多天皇が出した仁和3年の詔が初出であって、太政大臣あるいは摂政としての継続の意味であった可能性もある）際に一旦これを辞退した際の基経の返答に「如何、責阿衡、以忍労力疾、役冢宰以侵暑冒寒乎。」という語句を含めている。