Naosuke II was appointed Tairo (Chief Minister) in the Shogunate and drove policies against the wishes of the Imperial Court, such as signing the Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Commerce and arbitrarily naming Yoshitomi TOKUGAWA (Iemochi TOKUGAWA) of the Kii Domain as the next shogun.
幕府では井伊直弼が大老に就任し、日米修好通商条約の締結、紀伊藩の徳川慶福（徳川家茂）を将軍後継に決定して将軍継嗣問題の解決を図るなど朝廷の意向を無視した強硬政治を行った。