When Emperor Toba ascended the throne, Kinzane took lightly FUJIWARA no Tadazane, young family head of Sekkan-ke (line of regents and advisers) and argued that he himself who had been at the position of maternal father of the young Emperor should have assumed the post of Sessho (regent to the emperor), but he was scoffed at by MINAMOTO no Toshiaki, Chief of the Office of the Retired Emperor Shirakawa, reproving that 'the man who had served for four emperors as Shodaibu (aristocracy lower than court nobles) still tried to seek the post of Sekkan (regent and adviser).'
鳥羽即位時、公実は摂関家の若年の当主藤原忠実を侮り、幼帝の外舅の地位にある自分こそ摂政に就任すべしと主張したが、「四代もの間、諸大夫として仕えた者が今摂関を望むとは」と白河院別当の源俊明に一蹴された。