Empress Deng Sui

Deng Sui, formally Empress Hexi, was an empress of the Eastern Han dynasty through her marriage to Emperor He of Han, and later its de facto ruler. Acting as regent twice for Emperor Shang, and then for Emperor An. Deng Sui was recognized as a merciful, intelligent leader who guided the dynasty well through a period of excessive natural disaster, disastrous famine, court intrigues, economic inflation and costly military conflicts, and she overcame all the problems and organized the government; as well as a staunch opponent of corruption and bribery, and an effective patron of education and the arts, which fostered growth and development in state. She is considered to be one of the Han dynasty's last effective rulers.