Due to the above background, Yoshinobu sent his wife's niece, and also his adopted daughter, Moshi to the Imperial Palace to become Empress; however, some people criticized that Moshi was not suitable as the Crown Prince's Empress since her real father's official rank was mere Chunagon (also it was only Yorimichi, who had the most political power at that time, to send an adopted daughter to become Empress, thus it is said that some people considered it was not appropriate for Yoshinobu to do that because his official rank was not high enough).
そのため能信が妻の姪にあたる養女茂子を妃に入れたのだが、いくら能信の養女でも実父が中納言では、東宮妃にはふさわしくないと非難されている（また、当時養女を妃に入れたのは最高実力者であった頼通のみであり、能信がそれを行うのは不相応であるという意味合いがあったとも言われている）。