 Although there were seven other reigning empresses, their successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century.Empress Genmei, who was succeeded by her daughter, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument.In 724, Genshō abdicated in favor of her nephew, who would be known as Emperor Shōmu.