historical drama about female lead (romance not necessary)

I'm looking for a historical period drama. Having the story be about the female lead is definitely a requirement, but it doesn't have to have romance. I'd prefer if the drama isn't mostly composed of mostly fighting/action scenes. I love detailed political schemes though, especially when the antagonists are far from one dimensional, so if it has that, that's a big bonus for me. I especially love historical dramas where the female leads . . . (1) perform some sort of traditional dance, act, or song (like in the drama "The Legend of Zhen Huan") (2) show a mastery over a certain area (such as the drama "Faith" where the female lead is a surgeon or in the "Painter of the Wind" where the female lead is a talented painter) and/or (3) display their cleverness and resourcefulness (such as in, Startling By Each Step). If it has any of the above, I'll be very extremely excited to watch it. By the way, all the drama examples used above I really enjoyed and they come highly recommended from me for anyone who's looking for something similar to this request. Some other examples would be: Sungkyunkwan Scandal Queen In-Hyun's Man

If you aren't watching Empress Ki, I definitely recommended.

Queen Seon Deok , Empress Ki, The Moon Embracing The Sun, Jang Ok-Jung, really great dramas. Enjoy. :-P

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond to my request. I have so many dramas to choose from, it's hard to pick which one I will try first.

Hwang Jin Yi fits exactly what I'm looking for, but unfortunately I've already watched it a few months ago. I liked it alot in the beginning of the series, but somewhere towards the middle she became cold-hearted and ruthless. I fond it hard to root for her and the focus of the drama had changed alot. I eventually gave up on it. However, the episodes I did watch were beautiful and emotionally touching. Her training as a gisaeng, her beautiful dancing, and the performance on the tightrope make this show a worthy watch on it's own.

Other shows I've watched that people recommended here:
Empress Ki (currently watching and it's really great so far)
Cruel Palace - War of the Flowers (I put this on hold for now. Even though I really like it, it's very gritty and dark and I could only watch a little at a time.)

And the shows I'll be checking out soon:
Legendary Courtesan Hwang Jin Yi
Queen Seon Duk
The Moon Embracing the Sun
Jang Ok-Jung
Jewel in the Palace
Dong Yi

Once again, thanks for everyone who took the time to respond. I really appreciate it! And if anyone has more dramas to recommend, I'll be very happy to hear them.