no longer Prince Kang's son, refused to allow Princess Dowager Fu and her daughter-in-law Consort Ding to see Prince Xin, but the more lenient Empress Dowager Wang allowed Princess Dowager Fu to see her grandson under the rationale that she was like a wet nurse. Domination of her grandson's reign Emperor Cheng died suddenly in April 7 BC, and Prince Xin ascended the throne as Emperor Ai. Almost immediately, the issue of the roles of Princess Dowager Fu and Consort Ding (and what honour, if any, to posthumously bestow on Emperor Ai's father Prince Kang) would quickly erupt into a major controversy. Initially, Grand Empress Dowager Wang decreed that Princess Dowager Fu and Consort Ding see him periodically, every 10 days. However, Princess Dowager Fu quickly began to visit her grandson everyday, and she insisted that two things be done: that she receive an Empress Dowager title, and that her relatives be granted titles, like the Wangs. Grand Empress Dowager Wang, sympathetic of the bind that Emperor Ai was in, first granted Prince Kang the unusual title of "Emperor Gong of Dingtao" (定陶共皇) and then, under the rationale of that title, granted Princess Dowager Fu the title "Empress Dowager Gong of Dingtao" (定陶共皇太后) and Consort Ding the title "Empress Gong of Dingtao" (定陶共皇后). Several members of the Fu and Ding clans were created marquesses. Grand Empress Dowager Wang also ordered her nephew Wang Mang, the commander of the armed forces, to resign and transfer power to the Fus and the Dings. Emperor Ai declined and begged Wang Mang to stay in his administration. Several months later, however, there would be another direct confrontation between Wang Mang and now-Empress Dowager Fu. At a major imperial banquet, the official in charge of seating placed Empress Dowager Fu's seat next to Grand Empress Dowager Wang's. When Wang Mang saw this, he rebuked the official and ordered that Empress Dowager Fu's seat be moved to the side, which drew great ire from Empress Dowager Fu, who refused to attend the banquet. To soothe her anger, Wang Mang resigned, and Emperor Ai approved his resignation. After Wang Mang's resignation, the Wangs gradually and inexorably began to lose their power. At Empress Dowager Fu's behest, the Fus and the Dings were installed in their place. Empress Dowager Fu was not satisfied with what she saw was her inferior title (as only empress dowager, not grand empress