Mototsune rejected this claim, maintaining that there was no precedent for a descendant of an emperor who had been given a family name (e.g., Taira, Minamoto) to become emperor, and then FUJIWARA no Morofuji, a sangi councilor, threatened to have anyone who did not follow Mototsune's plan killed, and the deliberations were thereby brought to an end.
基経は姓を賜った者が帝位についた例はないと退け、次いで参議藤原諸葛が基経に従わぬ者は斬ると恫喝に及び、廷議は決した。