He took part in Insei (cloister government) by the Retired Emperor Goshirakawa and played an important part as an influential court official, but, as he confronted with FUJIWARA no Shinzei, he moved toward FUJIWARA no Nobuyori, who was a political opponent of Shinzei.
後白河上皇の院政に参画、その一翼を担う有力な廷臣となるが、藤原信西と対立したことからその政敵である藤原信頼に接近する。