Story 13: Van Thinh Le

Chi Nhi, Dong Lat where Van Thinh Le who was known as studious, intelligent boy was born. When he was child, he used to wander around the temple in the village. When the elder monk, the Abbot, taught young monks Chinese characters, he really like that and used to stand outside, looking in. Because of his intelligence, he showed preeminence than ever young monk though he was not taught directly. Because of that the elder monk allowed him to go in temple library to study. Van Thinh Le remembered all things he had ever read over. When he was 13 years old, he had extensive knowledge in many fields that people called him child prodigy. His father was poor village-doctor so his desire was not becoming a mandarin. Though, he still tried to study that was because he wanted to fill his desire of knowledge.

But a thing had changed his fate, a decree of the king. That year the king held a 3-round- competition called “Minh kinh bác học” (wise scholar). The competition was held to find talents to help the king solve national problems. Thinh was very happy he participated in that competition and became the valedictorian. He and 9 others were selected from hundreds of people.

They day he went to castle to receive mandarin clothes and hat, all people, other mandarins and generals felt satisfied as the new valedictorian was a intelligent and handsome person who had answered all questions of people easily and wisely. Especially, he showed people he had broad military knowledge. When he was only 26 years old, he was ordained to be “Thị lang bo binh”, the position gave to the person who was directly under Defense Minister. Meantime, he was the teacher of new king who was only 9 years old that time.

He worked well both the positions. As he was the king teacher, he taught the king about the way to rule country of ancients and helped him to be the most wise king of Ly dynasty.

As he was Defense Minister helper (Thi lang bo binh), he had ever been behalf of the king to go to Tong (a country in the north of his country, now the area of the coutry belong to China) to negotiate. By strong arguments, he got back the area of his country that Cao Tri Nung, a patriarch who was allowed to rule the north area of that country, had given to Tong when he betrayed.

When Dao Thanh Ly died, he was ordained to replace him, becoming king’s adviser, one of three most powerful mandarins. That was the first time in Vietnamese history a powerful mandarin was born in normal family and selected after a competition. That competition became a historic event that the next kings also held competitions to select talents to help them rule their country.

When Van Thinh Le was king’s adviser he helped the king arrange his ruling apparatus, rank of mandarins and generals. He advised the king to limit power of Buddhism and spread Confucius that has good effect to ruling. But, that thing took away some benefit from many people especial monks who had much power that time.

It might be the reason people found the way to harm him and stopped him from that idea. In 1096 when he was at the peak of power, he convicted of the crime, planning to kill and replace the current king.

The story was written in Vietnamese history note that was:

“That time, the king was in Dam Dam lake (now, West lake) on a boat, looking people fishing. Suddenly, fog appeared. People heard boating noise approached them. The king took some rocks and threw toward where the noise came out. Later, fog started faded, all people seemed to be frightened as they saw the thing on the boat was a tiger. People screamed: “Dangerous!”. The fisher, Muc Than immediately threw his net over the tiger but that was no one but Van Thinh Le, the king’s adviser. Before that, Van Thinh Le had ever get a servant who had many magics and that made the king thought that Van Thinh Le want to do the bad thing, killing and replacing him. Though, Van Thinh Le was a much powerful mandarin who had helped the king very much so the king didn’t want to kill him he forced him to go to Thao Giang and live in there till he died”.

Therefore, Vietnamese history was written that Adviser Van Thinh Le planned to usurp the throne but he failed and was forced to Thao Giang (now, Tam Nong district, Phu Tho province). That time, the place was a wild deserted place. He lived and died at there.

But, many of people thought that the thing only reflected internal conflict problem that the thing Van Thinh Le changed into a tiger only a magic trick that people performed to kick Van Thinh Le out of his position. Others thought that he was a Confucian scholar so that he protested Empress Dowager Linh Nhan using too much money to build temples so she found the way and kicked him out. You should know planned to kill the king it was the the most serious crime that time that not only he was cut off his head but also people who related to him was cut off their heads. But, he was only forced to go to Thao Giang that made them, anicents, suspected.

People after that couldn’t have enough evidences to clean his name but they they built many temples and worshiped him at many places. One of the temples placed in Dong Cuu, Gia Binh district, Bac Ninh province. There had a dragon stone statue, a big dragon rolled itself with its mouth biting on its tails, it claws pressed firmly on its body, its eyes the eyes showed people the feeling about resentment. People thought that the dragon stone statue was Van Thinh Le, the felling that time he was suspected by his king.

"Translator: Hung Nguyen"

Read more:

Historical stories

Story 11: King Nhan Tong Ly

Story 12: General Thuong Kiet Ly

Story 14: King Than Tong Ly

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Truyện cổ tích Việt Nam

Vietnamese fairy tales

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List of Vietnamese fairy tales

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Vietnamese fairy tales

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