Emperor Gosanjo had planned to pass the throne to a male successor of his direct line before he retired, and he tried to rule politics as an retired Emperor in order to establish a strong basis for unifying the Imperial line.
後三条は、皇統統一をより強固なものとするため、生前に直系男子へ譲位し上皇として政務に当たることを目論んでいた。