Regency for Emperor Shang of Han In 106, with China facing a financial crisis, Emperor He died, creating a succession crisis. Empress Deng and all of the imperial consorts had been without sons for a long time. (Emperor He was described as having had a number of sons who died in young age; it is unclear whether Empresses Yin or Deng ever gave birth, but it appears that they did not.) Late in Emperor He's reign, he had two sons—whose mothers were not mentioned in history—Liu Sheng and
Liu Long. Under the superstition of the time, it was thought that they might survive better if they grew up outside the palace in light of their other brothers' early deaths, so both were given to
foster parents. At the time Emperor He died, Liu Sheng, the older son, was still young (but actual age is not recorded in history) and believed to be constantly ill. The younger, Liu Long, was only 100 days old. Both were welcomed back to the palace, and Empress Deng created Liu Long crown prince, believing that he would be healthier, and then that night he was proclaimed emperor, as Emperor Shang. Power was in Empress Dowager Deng's hands, as regent for the infant emperor, and her brother Deng Zhi (鄧騭) quickly became the most powerful official at court. She also sought the advice of Ban Zhao, until her death in 116. She issued a general pardon, which benefitted the people who had rights stripped from them for associating with the family of
Empress Dou, whose family had been powerful during the early reign of Emperor He but had been toppled in a coup d'état. Late in 106, the young emperor died, creating yet another succession crisis. By this time, the officials had realized that Prince Sheng (then Prince of Pingyuan) was not as ill as initially thought, and they generally wanted him to be emperor. However, Empress Dowager Deng, concerned that Prince Sheng would bear a grudge for not having been made emperor first, had other ideas. She insisted on making Emperor Shang's cousin Prince Hu, who was seen by some as the rightful heir, emperor instead. He took the throne as
Emperor An, at age 12.
Regency for Emperor An of Han When Emperor An ascended the throne, his father Liu Qing was still alive, as was his wife Consort Geng—who had remained in the capital
Luoyang with him until his ascension. (Emperor An's mother Consort
Zuo Xiao'e (左小娥), Liu Qing's concubine, had died sometime earlier.) However, Deng Sui was able to ensure exclusive control over the young emperor still, as empress dowager, by sending Consort Geng to join her husband Liu Qing in his
Principality of Qinghe. Deng Sui showed herself to be an able regent who did not tolerate corruption, even by her own family members. She also carried out criminal law reforms. For example, in 107, she issued an edict that extended the period for death penalty appeals. She cut the expenses of the royal court, like the making of expensive handicrafts such as
jade and
ivory carvings and sent home palace attendants with superfluous functions. She also demanded less tribute from the provinces. While Empress, she twice opened the imperial granaries to feed the hungry; forced the reduction of income landlords received from the land they rented out; she repaired waterways and cut court rituals and banquets. In 107, however, there would be major problems on the borders. First, kingdoms of the
Western Regions (or Xiyu, modern
Xinjiang and
Central Asia), which had submitted to Han suzerainty during the times of the great general
Ban Chao, had been resisting Ban's successors for some time due to their harsh regulations, and in 107, Empress Dowager Deng finally decreed that Xiyu be abandoned. That same year,
Qiang tribes, who had been oppressed by Han officials for more than a decade and fearful that they would be ordered to quell Xiyu rebellions, rebelled themselves. This was a major rebellion, affecting a wide region over modern
Shaanxi,
Gansu, and northern
Sichuan, and Qiang forces even made incursions into modern
Shanxi and threatened the capital at one point. The situation became so severe that Deng Zhi considered abandoning Liang Province (涼州, roughly modern
Gansu), a proposal that Empress Dowager Deng wisely rejected. The rebellion would not be put down until 118, by which point the western empire was in shambles. Also, in 107 to 109, there were many natural disasters—floods, droughts, and hail, in different parts of the empire. Empress Dowager Deng was largely effective in organizing disaster relief efforts. In 109, South
Xiongnu, which had been a loyal vassal up to this point, rebelled as well, believing that Han had been so weakened by Qiang rebellions that it would be easy target. However, after Han made a strong show of force, South Xiongnu submitted again and would not become a trouble spot for the rest of Han dynasty. On 22 November 110, Empress Dowager Deng's mother Lady Yin died. Her brothers resigned their posts to observe a period of mourning for three years, and after initially not approving the request, she eventually did, under female scholar
Ban Zhao's suggestion. Even though they were without major government posts, however, they remained powerful advisors. As the years went by, Empress Dowager Deng's original humble nature appeared to entirely wear away as she hung onto power. When some of her relatives and close associates suggested that she transfer power to Emperor An, she became angry at them and would not do so. ==Death==