According to the entry of February 27, 1204 in "Meigetsuki" (Chronicle of the Bright Moon), a rumor that Tokimasa HOJO had lost to Shigetada HATAKEYAMA and fled to the mountains and that Oe no Hiromoto had been killed had already spread; as relatives of Hiromoto panicked and moved out with their belongings, it was clear that there was bad blood between Tokimasa and Shigetada.
『明月記』元久元年（1204年）正月18日条によると、都で「北条時政が畠山重忠と戦って敗北し山中に隠れた。大江広元がすでに殺されたとの事だ。」という風聞が流れ、広元の縁者がそのデマに騒ぎ荷物を運び出す騒動になるなど、両者の対立は周知の事となっていた。