The correct response is:
Women from both royal courts exercised significant control of court politics outside of public view.
This statement highlights the influence that royal women had in both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty, particularly during periods of decline when male leaders were often seen as ineffective or weak. In both cultures, empresses and dowager empresses could wield considerable behind-the-scenes power and play critical roles in political maneuvering, helping to shape the direction of their respective empires despite lacking formal authority.