The Imperial Court was flustered by Nobunaga's attitude to pay little attention to the emperor, and Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA was afraid that Nobunaga might ask the imperial court for appointment as Seii Taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") and proposed Mitsuhide AKECHI, who had once been Yoshiaki's vassal, to assassinate Nobunaga.
天皇を軽んじた信長の態度に朝廷はうろたえるが、それ以上に信長が朝廷に征夷大将軍の任を求めることを恐れた足利義昭は、かつての家臣・明智光秀に信長暗殺を持ちかける。