Stories of the Japanese 00731 [Late Kamakura Period] The Shochu Incident: An Impossible Defiance

Although the plot to overthrow the shogunate had been exposed, Emperor Go-Daigo insisted on his innocence to the very end.
According to the diary of Emperor Hanazono, the letter that Emperor Go-Daigo sent to the shogunate stated,
"If there are those who plotted to overthrow the shogunate, the truth should be thoroughly investigated and those responsible should be punished."
It was not an apology, but a directive—an impossible way to brazen it out. Retired Emperor Hanazono wrote in his diary,
"Is he not a madman?"
expressing his utter astonishment.
Although Emperor Go-Daigo's excuse was transparent, the shogunate, which was already struggling with internal strife among the Ando clan in Ezo, apparently did not want to take on any more trouble and sought to handle the matter quietly.
They replied, "We will continue to investigate Hino Suketomo and Toshimoto, but we have no intention of punishing the Emperor."
How lenient.
On October 23, 1324 (Genko 4), Madenokoji Nobufusa, who returned to the capital with the good news that "the Emperor will not be blamed," was promoted two ranks to Gon-dainagon (Provisional Major Counselor). On February 7 of the following year, 1325 (Shochu 2), it was decided that "Suketomo will be exiled to Sado, and Toshimoto will be released," and not a single person from the Emperor's inner circle was sentenced to death.
Although it is a later invention, the Taiheiki contains the following account: Emperor Go-Daigo sent a "written oath" to Kamakura to prove his innocence, but when Hojo Takatoki tried to open it, Nikaido Doun (1267–1335), the Mandokoro Shitsuji (Chief of the Administrative Board), advised him,
"The Emperor's written oath should not be opened and viewed."
Takatoki ignored this and had Saito Toshiyuki open it, whereupon Toshiyuki suffered a nosebleed and died seven days later after vomiting blood. Surprised by this, Takatoki decided not to hold the Emperor accountable.
In reality, Saito Toshiyuki died two years later, so this is clearly not historical fact.
Thus, the plot to overthrow the shogunate that occurred in September 1324 ended in failure.
The year 1324 (Genko 4) was not renamed "Shochu" until December, so the incident should technically be called the "Genko Incident," but it is known as the "Shochu Incident."
As an aside, in recent research, the theory that "Emperor Go-Daigo's second plot to overthrow the shogunate (the Genko War) was real, but the first plot (the Shochu Incident) was a false accusation" has become influential.
Rather, it is suggested that being falsely accused caused Emperor Go-Daigo to lose trust in the shogunate and begin to seriously consider overthrowing it.
If that is the case, that impossible defiance makes sense.