Duan Hongzhuo moved far faster than either Duan Ziqian or the Marquis of Anguo had anticipated.
Even Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou had not seen it coming.
So much so that when they heard the Empress Dowager's decree had been issued, Jiang Zhizhou remained stunned for a long while.
Indeed, there was still an Empress Dowager in the palace, though she had not appeared in public for a long time.
She was Duan Ziqian's birth mother. She had seldom shown herself even before, and had only risen in rank when the new emperor ascended the throne.
After the Late Emperor passed away, the Empress Dowager had requested to retire to the Buddhist Hall, withdrawing from all affairs of the inner palace, great or small.
No one had expected her to intervene in the emperor's marriage at this juncture.
But after thinking it over, Jiang Zhizhou knew exactly whose hand lay behind this decree.
The Regent King had lost his patience after all.
What no one could possibly have expected was that he would enlist the Empress Dowager, who had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs.
With her decree issued, the Left Chancellor's daughter entering the palace as empress was now a foregone conclusion.
"It seems Duan Hongzhuo is determined to have his way. But this rash advance is very unlike his usual style," Yang Qing said.
To seize Western Chu's realm, Duan Hongzhuo had joined forces with Wei Sizhong and laid his plans for more than a decade before slowly making his move. He was exceptionally steady and would not let others sway him.
Why, then, was he so impatient over Duan Ziqian's choice of empress?
"In my view, there is more to this."
A vague unease stirred in Yang Qing's heart, but he had no one at his disposal