When Tự Đức died, Tường was made regent together with Trần Tiễn Thành and Tôn Thất Thuyết. Thuyết and Tường dominated the court and had much more power than Thành. The regents were not the only ones with power behind the throne. Dowager Empress Từ Dụ, the mother of Tự Đức, along with the two imperial consorts Trang Ý and Học Phi formed what were known as the "Tam Cung" (or "three harems"), a triumvirate which dabbled in palace intrigue. To complicate things further, Tường was having an affair with Học Phi.