According to "O-kagami (The Great Mirror)," despite Retired Emperor Yozei's demotion from nobility to subject, when seeing Emperor Uda, who used to be one of the palace staff and was enthroned after the abdication of the Retired Emperor's father, Emperor Koko, it is said that the Retired Emperor asked, 'That person used to serve me at the palace, didn't he?'
『大鏡』には、いったん臣籍降下したにもかかわらず、父、光孝天皇の後をうけ即位した元侍従であった宇多天皇のことを、「あれはかつて私に仕えていた者ではないか」と言ったという逸話が残っている。