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Story 1. Cong Uan Ly, the first king of Ly dynasty.

As a fairy tale when he who was a poor farmer with no field had to work for monks staying in Tien Son temple which was placed in Bac ninh province loved a nun in the temple. Then the nun was pregnant and couldn’t keep the thing in secret months. Then the abbot found out and was very angry. The abbot expelled the nun immedately. He and she went away they took a rest in a forest. The man felt thirty and went away to find water. He saw a well and bent down to drink. Unfortunely, he fell down into the well and died. The nun had waited for long time but didn’t see the man come back. She went to find him but as she arrived the well had been buried by termites. None knew that the place had a “dragon stream” which was only intended for blessed person. So painful the nun creamed but meanwhile she felt her stomach painful. She knew that she nearly gave birth to a child. Therefore, she tried her best to go to a temple nearly. The temple was named Ứng Tâm. That night he gave birth to a son. While the abbot of temple, Khanh Van Ly, was sleeping he dreamed dragon god came and woke him up; the dragon god said to him: “wake up to welcome the king”. The abbot woke up and saw golden light spreading from the gate. As the abbot apprached he smelled scent spreading. A woman just gave birth to a child who had 4 words in his hand “sơn hà xã tắc”, (its meaning was the child held the country in his hand). A strong wind blew pass and brought the woman’s life away.
The abbot took the child in the temple and took care of him. He gave the child his family name Ly and named him Cong Uan.
That time, temples were not only places where people respected Buddha but also where people studied because the monks were not only great in remembering Buddhist scripture but also had high education. When Cong Uan Ly lived in the temple he was taught directly by Khanh Van Ly, a master of both knowledge and martial arts.
The child was very clever as he was four he could read and when he was ten he had remembered all Buddhist scipture.Then he couldn’t afford to continue teaching the clever boy so he sent him to Lục Tổ temple which had a monk named Van Hanh, the most knowledgeable person that time. Van Hanh that time was adviser to recent king he was a kind person who always took care of people’s lives.
Van Hanh treated Cong Uan as his son and gave him all his knowledge. Sometime, they discussed about national problems that was the step Van Hanh prepared for Cong Uan to be responsible for national problems after that.
When Cong Uan grew up, Le dynasty was developing so he went to Hoa Lu capital to participate in contests choosing leader of castle guards. Cong Uan got the highest mark and was useful for Hoan Le king. In last years of Hoan Le king, Cong Uan had been a powerful general who manager an elite army called “Tư sương quân”; they were responsible for protecting castle.
When Hoan Le died, his son Long Dinh Le killed his brother to usurp the throne. The cruel king laid his brother’s body in the hall to frighten others. The large pot which was made in Dinh dynasty which had been used to boil oil and thrown anybody who dared to not obey the king, now, it another time was fired. Every mandarin kneeled kept their head opposite the ground. All of them thought: “he killed even that is his brother. So had better don’t do anything which makes him unsatisfied.”
From “Tứ sương quân” a person stood up came to Long Viet’s body then took him front the throne kneeled and cried painfuly. Long Dinh’s face turned red he glared at Cong Uan rose his hand and nearly hinted soldiers to kill him but he stopped and downed his hand.
“Break up”, said Long Dinh then he went out of the hall toward the harem.
The person he took Long Viet’s body was none but Cong Uan. The action had efected to the cruel king. The next morning Long Dinh Le ordained Cong Uan to be deputy leader of all soldiers who protected four sides of castle. And he also ordered to bury his brother as if a king though he had been kingdom for three days. That thing explained that the recent king respected Cong Uan.

When Long Dinh Le (he had other name Ngoa Trieu Le), the lewd cruel king had a great ill and had to spend his remiaining time lying. People spread a rumor that the country would change the owner. One day, Cam Moc Dao the most powerful that time had a private meeting with Cong Uan. He talked:
“The dulling cruel king has done many bad things and made people hate. He has no longer time to live. His son, biesides, is too young can not be responsible for country. People are impatient to find a real king to lead them on the right way…
After few words to see Cong Uan’s mind, CaM Moc Dao took more clearly:
“People now are chaotic and only use kindness to treat them. You are only one person who can lead people on the right way. Please, do it for others.”
Cong Uan couldn’t refuse.
November 1009, Long Dinh Le dead while Cong Uan was away to fight against rebels at Hoi Quan, Tam Diep. As other times he made the fighting to be a convincing days. He advised rebels to obey rules then he separated rice to them to come back their houses and had normal lives. Cong Uan didn’t know that the next morning when he came back the castle people had held a great party to wait for him.
After drumming sound as normal, Cam Moc Dao appeared front all of mandarins and general to notify that the recent king, Long Dinh Le, had died. He continued speaking:
“People now because of hating the old king don’t want to follow his offspring. All of them also want Cong Uan, a kindness knowledge person, to be their king. What do you think?”
All of mandarins and general immediately creamed “Vạn tuế” (the word when others saw a king which meant that they prayed then king had a long life)     
 When Cong Uan was few miles from the castle Cong Uan saw in the distance a loudly crowed with many banners were waited front of castle’s gate. He ordered soldiers to stop then was surprised as Cam Moc Dao led others to come and said:
“Recent king has died. The country has to have a king. All of us have agreed to respect you to be our king.” Then he and others, including, soldiers who came with him kneeled and creamed.
In the spring 1010, Cong Uan became the king and had other named “Thuan Thien” (which was used to named years he reigned as if 1010 would called 1st Thuan Thien)
He went out from temple and was taught by monks so he had a great kindness. Just became the king he removed debts for poor people and exempted taxes in three years. He removed harsh laws and let people who had unjust things can talk him directly. The king respected Buddha so Buddhism was developmental in years he reigned. He had built and repaired many temples in capital and other places.
Cong Uan Ly who founded Ly dynasty had built a government with clearly rule. Whole country was separated into 24 parts to manage. People had low taxes so their lives were very good and they were very happy. Thai To Ly (Cong Uan Ly) had set basic step for the development of the country after. But the best thing he had done that was he had moved capital to Thang Long (now Ha noi) and built Thang Long to became the center of country.
 Spring 1028, Cong Uan Ly had great ill then died after 19 years reigning. He died when he was 55 years old. He was buried in hometown at Dinh Bang, Bac Ninh. 
THE END
"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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