Amid such a political dilemma, FUJIWARA no Nobuyori had ties with the Emperor supporters and they staged a coup d'etat during the visit of Kiyomori, who maintained the largest military power in Kyoto, to Kumano for prayer at Shinto shrines, killing FUJIWARA no Shinzai and seizing the reigns of government (Heiji Disturbance) in January 1160 (December 1159 in old lunar calendar).
そのような中藤原信頼と天皇親政派は手を結び、平治元年（1159年）12月、都で最大の軍事力を有する清盛の熊野参詣中にクーデターを起こして信西を殺害し、政権を掌握した（平治の乱）。