Stories of the Japanese 00308 [Mid-Heian Period] The 63rd Emperor Reizei

May 4, 960. Fujiwara no Morosuke passed away without seeing the enthronement of his grandson, Crown Prince Norihira. He died earlier than his older brother, Saneyori.
Following this, an era would arrive in which Morosuke's three sons would compete for power.
・Eldest son: Fujiwara no Koretada (924–972)
・Second son: Fujiwara no Kanemichi (925–977)
・Third son: Fujiwara no Kaneie (929–990)
However, a powerful aristocrat capable of opposing these three brothers appeared. This was a man named Minamoto no Takaakira (914–983), the tenth son of Emperor Daigo.
What made Minamoto no Takaakira different from other powerful clans was that he did not act as an anti-Fujiwara force; rather, he sought to seize power by ingratiating himself with the Fujiwara clan.
Minamoto no Takaakira married a daughter of Fujiwara no Morosuke, built a relationship of trust with Morosuke and his daughter, the Empress Anshi, and steadily climbed the ranks under Morosuke's patronage. Although the death of Anshi in 964 was a painful blow, in 966, Takaakira married his daughter to Prince Tamehira, thereby forging a connection with Morosuke.
Prince Tamehira was one of the children born to Morosuke's daughter, Anshi, after she married Emperor Murakami. In other words, by cloaking himself in the authority of Prince Tamehira, who carried Morosuke's blood, Minamoto no Takaakira sought to gain power for himself.
The three Fujiwara brothers were intensely wary of these movements by Minamoto no Takaakira. It seems the three brothers even went so far as to think, 'Of the three children born to Anshi (Norihira, Tamehira, and Morihira), Tamehira must never be allowed to become Emperor.'
In the midst of this, Emperor Murakami passed away on May 25, 967.
Because Emperor Murakami did not appoint a regent or a chancellor, his reign was later called the 'Era of Tenryaku' and praised as an ideal period of direct imperial rule. In reality, however, it is believed that Emperor Murakami was heavily influenced by the brothers Fujiwara no Saneyori and Morosuke (especially Morosuke). The 'Era of Tenryaku' could by no means be called a period of direct imperial rule.
With the passing of Emperor Murakami, the Crown Prince, Norihira, ascended the throne. This was Emperor Reizei.
With the enthronement of Emperor Reizei, Prince Morihira became the Crown Prince. This meant he was named heir, bypassing the older Prince Tamehira. Poor Prince Tamehira; despite being one of the three who carried the blood of Fujiwara no Morosuke, he was shunned by the Fujiwara clan simply because he had married the daughter of Minamoto no Takaakira.
Meanwhile, Fujiwara no Saneyori was appointed Chancellor, and Minamoto no Takaakira was appointed Minister of the Left.
Although Minamoto no Takaakira failed to have his son-in-law, Prince Tamehira, named Crown Prince, he had attained a position as Minister of the Left—the number two spot in the government after Saneyori—so it is understandable why the three sons of Morosuke were so wary of him.