However at that time there was a secret agreement to promote Genbi to eighth-dan and also it is said that he requested Nariaki TOKUGAWA of Mito domain for an approach to Yoshinao TSUCHIYA, the jisha-bugyo (magistrate of temples and shrines) of the time, who was adopted from Mito Tokugawa family.
しかし、この時元美を八段昇段させる密約があり、また水戸藩の徳川斉昭に、水戸徳川家から養子に入った当時の寺社奉行土屋彦直への働きかけを依頼したとも言われている。