Since according to "Eiga monogatari" (A Tale of Flowering Fortunes), FUJIWARA no Morosuke is evaluated as being compared with Saneyori by writing 'Ichi (Saneyori) Kurushiki Ni no hito (Morosuke)' (literally, 'as the top person (Saneyori) has little power, the second (Morosuke) comes'), it is believed that Saneyori did not have full control of government, Morosuke controlled the administration during the reign of Emperor Murakami, and that during the reigns of Emperor Reizei and Enyu, children of Morosuke, who was a maternal relative to both emperors, including FUJIWARA no Koretada and FUJIWARA no Kaneie, had actual control of the government.
また、『栄花物語』が、藤原師輔を、「一（実頼）苦しき二の人（師輔）」と実頼とを比較して評していることから、実頼の政治的実権が乏しく、村上天皇朝においては師輔、冷泉天皇・円融天皇朝においては両天皇と外戚関係にあった師輔の子藤原伊尹・藤原兼家等が実権を掌握したと捉えられている。