There were some movements in support of Munetake TOKUGAWA, the second son who was more intelligent than the sickly Ieshige, or Munetada TOKUGAWA, the fourth son, for the new shogun, but it is said that Yoshimune dared to choose Ieshige in order to avoid conflict between Munetake and Munetada over the post of shogun.
なおこのとき、病弱な家重より聡明な次男・徳川宗武や四男・徳川宗尹を新将軍に推す動きもあったが、吉宗は宗武と宗尹による将軍継嗣争いを避けるため、あえて家重を選んだと言われている。