Meanwhile, it is believed that the reason why Yorimichi fulfilled his duty as Ichi no kami (the head of high court officials) jointly with Sanesuke without leaving the position of Kanpaku against the court custom of the time and declined to be promoted to the office of Daijo-daijin (Grand minister of state), which had remained vacant after the death of FUJIWARA no Kinsue, until after the death of Sanesuke, was that he was afraid of the possibility that Sanesuke, promoted to the office of Sadaijin after Yorimichi, might come into conflict with Yorimichi and lead all ministers as Ichi no kami (the office of Ichi no kami was normally assumed by the Sadaijin, while Kanpaku and Daijo-daijin did not perform the duty as Ichi no kami, and if the Sadaijin also served as Kanpaku, Udaijin was normally appointed as Ichi no kami).
その一方で、当時の慣例に反して頼通が関白のまま実資と共同で一上の職務を行い、藤原公季の死去により空席になった太政大臣への昇進を頼通が実資の死後まで控えたのは、実資が頼通の後任の左大臣に昇進することで、一上として太政官を率いて頼通と対抗することを恐れたからだとも言われている（一上には通常左大臣が就任して、関白及び太政大臣はその職務には携わらず、左大臣が関白を兼ねる場合には右大臣が一上となる慣例であった）。