Takauji next insisted that Yoshisada NITTA, shoji (chief) of the mushadokoro (the Imperial bodyguards) and the one who possessed the greatest military strength of all the samurai not yet estranged from the Emperor, was only pretending to support the Emperor and was secretly plotting against him, requesting that Emperor Godaigo let him suppress Yoshisada.
尊氏は、天皇から離反しなかった武士で最強の軍事力を持っていた武者所所司（長官）の新田義貞を君側の奸であると主張し、その討伐を後醍醐天皇に対して要請する。