After Yorimichi abdicated with great disappointment, his brother Norimichi became chancellor (chief advisor to the Emperor) with the help of FUJIWARA no Shoshi; moreover, Fujiwara no Yoshinobu's adopted son FUJIWARA no Yoshinaga and MINAMOTO no Morofusa, of the Murakami Minamoto clan, were given the positions needed to defeat the dominant politics of the Sekkan-ke, and appointed the lower government officials such as OE no Masafusa and FUJIWARA no Sanemasa, because FUJIWARA no Yoshinobu had supported the Emperor when he was the crown prince and was an active leader in opposition to the Sekkan-ke.
頼通が失意のあまり引退した後、藤原彰子の推挙で弟の教通を関白にしたが、反摂関家の急先鋒で東宮時代の天皇を庇護していた故能信の養子の藤原能長や、村上源氏の源師房等を登用して摂関家の政権独占打破を図り、大江匡房や藤原実政等の下級役人などを登用し、積極的に親政を行った。