However, Emperor Toba had already instructed important samurai to protect Goshirakawa if anything should happen, and on July 11 TAIRA no Kiyomori, MINAMOTO no Yoshitomo and MINAMOTO no Yoshiyasu made a breakaway nighttime attack into Shirakawa dono, and consequently Sutoku's force was defeated by the Goshirakawa force.
しかし、鳥羽は生前すでに有事に備えて、有力な武士らに後白河を守るよう命じており、7月11日には平清盛・源義朝・源義康らの白河殿への夜陰に乗じた奇襲攻撃により、院方は敗走した。