Yoshinobu TOKUGAWA, who was in charge of protecting the sea around the Osaka region, had senior councilors negotiate with the foreign squadron, while promoting activities to get permission from the emperor, but things became complicated with the order to dismiss the two senior councilors, Masato ABE and Takahiro MATSUMAE, who had decided to open Hyogo port on their own authority, making the bakufu side suspicious of Yoshinobu.
摂海防禦指揮徳川慶喜は、いまだに条約への勅許が得られていないのが原因と考え、老中らに勅許工作と外国艦隊との交渉をおこなわせるが、独断で兵庫開港を決めた阿部正外・松前崇広らに対し朝廷から老中罷免の令が出される異常事態となり、幕府は慶喜への疑念を強める。