Nariko's maternal uncle Minamoto no Morotoki (源師時) recorded in his diary that even when Nagazane was on his deathbed, he shed tears and said that he could not forget his dear girl for even a moment.

In 1134, after Nagazane's death, Nariko gained the affection of the retired Emperor Toba,[3] and in late 1135 gave birth to Princess Eishi (叡子内親王).

In 1137 she gave birth to Princess Akiko (暲子内親王), and in 1139 to a long-awaited son, Prince Narihito, the future Emperor Konoe.

Nariko was promoted to the position of nyōgo (女御), surpassing Toba's main wife Fujiwara no Tamako in influence.

As Narihito had been adopted by Sutoku's consort Fujiwara no Kiyoko, he should have had the official title of kōtaishi (皇太子), but in the proclamation of his ascension he was instead recorded as kōtaitei (皇太弟), which marked him as the younger brother, rather than the son, of the emperor.

The now-retired Emperor Sutoku could not open his own cloistered government with his younger brother on the throne, and so this was a major source of enmity for him.

In early 1142, Toba's other wife Fujiwara no Tamako was forced to become a nun for attempting to curse Nariko,[4] and her political position solidified further.

Although Tadamichi was also Yorinaga's adoptive father, he had recently had his own son Konoe Motozane, and allied with Nariko in an effort to let his own biological descendants succeed him.

Ultimately, the decision was made to immediately install the 29-year-old Masahito as Emperor Go-Shirakawa, despite him not being crown prince, until Morihito was old enough to take the throne.

Emperor Sutoku, dissatisfied at his line's removal from the succession, allied with Tadazane and Yorinaga, launching the Hōgen Rebellion immediately after Toba's death in 1156.

Unfortunately, this development led to the formation and opposition of sides centering on Michinori, Nijō, and Go-Shirakawa, which ultimately erupted in the Heiji Rebellion.