Although the Hojo family was well united to eliminate external political enemies such as Kagetoki KAJIWARA and Yoshikazu HIKI, due to the fact that they had no mutual enemies, internal conflicts arose such as the one between the children from his first marriage (Yoshitoki and Masako HOJO) and his second wife, Maki no kata, particularly after the Kamenomae Incident.
北条家内では梶原景時、比企能員など強力な政敵の排除には団結していたが、先妻の子義時・北条政子らと後妻牧の方との間には以前から亀の前事件などの諍いがあり、共通の敵が居なくなった事によって両者の対立が表面化していた。