There was a story about a little friendship between them in this period: In the autumn of 1004, Michinaga joined the chorus of a poem composed by Korechika -- 'Priest Jakusho who went to Song dynasty finally returned to his old house' -- and requested the Emperor to bestow him a poem composed by the Emperor and received one.
この間、寛弘元年秋には、道長が伊周作の「入宋(王朝)僧寂照の旧房に到る」詩に唱和し、奏上して御製の詩を賜ったという、ささやかな交流の話も伝わる。