Hau Tao

Long time ago, a boy lived in Tuan Le, Nghe an province. His name was Tao. When Tao was born he had a red mole in his ear. When he was child, he went to school and had many compliments from his teacher. But, Tao preferred learning martial arts than literature. Therefore, he left the school to learn martial arts. After few years, he left his mother and his wife at home and set off. He made friend in any where he came. Due to that, he had heard many unfair things in the country.

His mother didn’t like he spent much time in outside, she asked him to come to home and kept him staying at home. He loved his mother so much and had never displeased her. He came back home and worked as a farmer but he also had never forgotten his desire. One day, he gambled and lost whole his mother’s saving money. He didn’t want to hear his mother scold, so he planned to break into landlord’s home in the village to steal. He thought that he can easily go in and bring things away but he was wrong. People in the house had prepared a trap for him. he was caught and escorted to mandarin.

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Tao didn’t let himself in the prison much time. He broke the lock and climbed cross the wall and escaped. Soldiers searched every where to find him that made him not to dare to come back home. He and some friends grouped and became robbers. From that time, landlords and mandarins feared him. People who follower him more and more crowdedly. Then he called himself a lord and aggregated in place, named Truong May.

The recent king heard that at Truong May had rebels, he ordered Van Duyet Le went to Nghe An and found the way to destroy them. All times, soldiers fought against the rebels, they had to receive painful failures. Van Duyet Le felt appalling. He had to notify a notification that any one who could catch or kill Tao would receive 100 golden bars.

After hearing the notification, Tao chose some people and disguised a mandarin who was ordered by the king coming and monitoring. Tao wore nice clothes, servants surrounded and always were in ready case to serve him. They went in to the place where Van Duyet and soldiers were. Soldiers saw a line of people who were in uniform with swords, very solemn. Besides, they brought a flag with two works in that, “Khâm sai”. They had no chance to doubt and sprinted to Van Duyet Le and reported that a powerful mandarin was coming. Van Duyet treated Tao in respect.

“Have you ever come to Nghe an? Do you know what Tao look like?”, said Tao.

“No, I don’t know what he look like”, said Van Duyet in respect.

“I am Tao. You can see my red mole in my ear”, said Tao.

Van Duyet observed the red mole but still didn’t know what he had to do next. Tao said immediately:

“Sit still, if you move I will kill you immediately and listen my question. What is my crime that make you have to catch me?”, said Tao.

Van Duyet got again his calm, he answered:

“I am a mandarin, who managed whole area. All people obeyed the king but you. So the king ordered me to punish you. Now, I present you 100 golden bars and you could think about making friend with me. I will report to the king and asked he to let you become a mandarin”, said Van Duyet.

Tao laughed, he said:

“You should remember that we helped the country a great thing that we destroyed bad mandarins and landlords. I don’t come here for any position you know. I come to give you a advice that you should give up or you will lost your head. we can do the thing in easy way”.

Then Tao continued speaking, “If you are kindness to gift me gold. I should receive it. Now, bring it here”.

Van Duyet felt frightened because of swords in their hands, Tao and his friends, he asked others to bring gold to. When they got the gold, they brought Van Duyet to go with them till they felt safe. When they was far away, Tao said:

“I don’t kill you because the thing only makes my name bad. But, you should take care of your head”.

Van Duyet came back the place. Now, he had feeling between shame and anger. He cut off the guard. Then he ordered soldiers to fight the rebels but he could do any more than the previous times. Then he thought about Tao’s family. He asked few people to find Tao’s hometown and asked them to bring Tao’s family to.

When Van Duyet had Tao’s mother and wife, he was happy. He ordered soldiers to build a wooden tower and kept the mother and the wife in that. Then he sent a letter to Tao. The letter showed a message that if he gave up, his mother and wife would be safe and if he did not, they would be cut off their heads.

Tao was very sad after he read the letter. He said to his friends.

“The biggest thing I had was my mother but I have never made her happy. Now, if I neglect her, I can not continue living”.

Then Tao surrendered. Van Duyet prisoned Tao and waited for the next king’s order. Tao in the prison wrote that expressed strong will and didn’t scare anyone and because of his mother, he gave up. Van Duyet after reading the letter he felt angry and asked killers to cut of his head immediately. The day he was killed was the baddest day of people who lived in Nghe an. Many people scolded Van Duyet. Many people didn’t eat in three days because they mourned Tao. The king heard the news and felt unsatisfied. He punished Van Duyet to work without salary because he had killed a filial son.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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