Skip to main content

Story 11: King Nhan Tong Ly

His mother was a beautiful woman but Crown Prince Can Duc seemed not to inherit her beauty. People described that he had protruding eyes, a convex forehead and especially, his hands could reach over his knees as he stood straight. Though, people said that was shape of person who had rare talents. They might be right because Crown Prince matured sooner than children who had same age with him. When he was six, his father died, he had no choice but becoming the next king. Sat on the throne with Empress Dowager Linh Nhan staying in a veil behind him, he (now was King Nhan Tong Ly) solved national’s problems clearly front of mandarins and generals though his voice was still thin and weak. He used to have good ideas which none could think about.
vietnamese fairy tales
When he was 9 years old, he felt that his teacher could not teach him anymore. Though his mother had broad knowledge, couldn’t meet his learning desire. Therefore, he thought about competitions which used to find out the people who could teach him and besides, the people could help the country develop. Empress Dowager Linh Nhan thought that was exactly good idea, she called powerful mandarins coming and discussing. Later, each person was responsible for a part of the work. Some were responsible for extending Temple of Literature, some were responsible for compiling rules and tests, some were appointed to be examiners…
In 1075, the first contest in history was opened which attracted many people who came to participate in, see and talk about it, the strange thing they had never seen or known. The contest had three exams and difficulty level was increased. Though people who participated in the contest were crowded but it was very difficult to have a point. Therefore, only ten people got pass the contest and Van Thinh Le was person who had the highest score (later, people who passed contests as the contest were given titles; Trang Nguyen for the people who had highest score, Bang Nhan for the second and Tham Hoa for the third.). Van Thinh immediately was appointmented to be the teacher of King Nhan Tong Ly. That moment, Imperial Academy was building so that one teacher taught a student in Temple of Literature. The contest was also a precedent which later dynasties used to find out talents who devoted for the development of the country later.
The next year, 1076, Imperial Academy was built inside Temple of Literature. They, now, were called Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy. The young king was the first person who studied at the place.
Indition to needing people who helped the young king to solve national problems, the country also needed people who participated in management apparatus at province level, district level and lower level. Therefore, 1077 February on lunar calendar, the king one more time organized another contest to find people who would participate in management apparatus at all levels. This contest was rather comprehensive with exams about math, literature and law.
King Nhan Tong Ly himself was also an example of hard learning he reached broad knowledge and understanding deeply dogmas. He was also a person who established “Bi thu cac”, the large national library. Besides, he ordered servants to come to China (that moment, it was Tong) and collected rare books and brought them back the country to help people in learning.
In there years, the country also tried its best to fight against Tong. General Thuong Kiet Ly was leader of soldiers who was in battlefield. In the end of 1076, soldiers of Tong went to the country. Because, people had preparation in advance, their enemies was attacked everywhere, they felt in dilemma and later, they were rounded in the shore of River Nhu Nguyet. Then, they were not supplied food and drinks and many of them had diseases. General Thuong Kiet Ly launched an overall attack at the time the enemies became weakest. Therefore, invaders were broken. Though, the king and generals gave them their kindness that they let alive invaders came back their country in peace.
Though they had won, losses of the war were serious. Immediately, the king had to mobilize people to rebuild the country. Especially, Nhu Nguyet shore where the battle took place. They repaired and rebuilt the shore. Further, King Nhan Tong Ly ordered people to built others shore to avoid the flood which used to engulf the capital whenever flood season came. In 1108, King Nhan Tong Ly ordered people to build Co Xa dike which was the first dike along River Hong. Agriculture is the thing King Nhan Tong Ly was most interested in. He had many policies to support people expanding agricultural land. Therefore, wild lands around Thang Long capital were reclaimed to be agricultural lands which supplied copious food source for people.  
Peace was a important condition to develop cultural. In the time King Nhan Tong Ly reigned, many cultural events were organized and many types of art were developed as art of puppet-showing, Vietnamese popular opera (hát Chèo), boat racing…
King Nhan Tong Ly had never given birth to any child though he had three wives and 36 concubines. He chose Duong Hoan, a son of his brother, who was only enough 1 years old that time, to be crown prince.
In 1127, King Nhan Tong Ly died when he was 61 years old and had reigned the country for 55 years old, the longest time in the history of Vietnam.
In the time King Nhan Tong Ly reigned, the country reached to pinnacle of prosperity because of king’s insight. We were also undeniable merits of people as Empress Dowager Linh Nhan, powerful mandarin Dao Thanh Ly and General Thuong Kiet Ly who had helped him complete his historic mission.   
   THE END
"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

Read more: 
Story 11: King Nhan Tong Ly
-----

Comments

BÀI ĐĂNG ĐƯỢC XEM NHIỀU

List of Vietnamese fairy tales

Vietnamese  fairy tales includes many stories as Tam and Cam; So Dua; Hundred – knot- bamboo tree... which were spread in folk. Each stories has  its own meaning. I think I can not translate exactly each word into english but I will try my best to convey its meaning to you. Hope you like them!

Thanh Giong

Once  upon a time, a woman was old but she had not given birth a child. One day, when she went to her field, she saw a stranger footsore on the ground. The big footsore made her surprise and said: “omg, this footsore is so big” the she put her foot into the footsore. More 9 months later, she gave birth to a little boy named Giong. The boy was extraordinary that he was over three years old but had not spoken. He only knew lying and smiling. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com That year, the enemies they were known An planed to attack the country of the boy. They were merciless. Wherever they had gone, houses were ruined, fields were fired, people were killed. The sight behind them is mess of corpse and blood and ashes.The King was worry he forced his servants to look for person who could fight against the enemies.  One day, a servent went to Giong’s village while the woman was holding the boy in her arms, she said sadly that: “Giong, I wonder that when you hav...

Crow and Peacock

Once  upon a time, both Crow and Peacock were best friends and had same feather colors, gray. They knew themselves were ugly so they didn’t appear front of other birds. Peacock in Crow’s eyes was uglier than him because Peacock had a small head and a long neck that they didn’t connect to his body. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com One day, Crow talked Peacock: “A painter was painting nearly so we should come and steal some colors to paint on our feathers and make it beautiful” said Crow Peacock bowed his head. That day, the painter hadn’t finished his picture so he left his jar of colors on ground and took a nap. The first time, they stole a paintbrush and some jars then hid them on mound middle lake nearly. The second, they planned to go and steal again but the panter had woken up and came his home so they only took a jar of ink and a pocket of purl he had left. “Right, we start painting, yet” said Crow Crow made Peacock lie down and began painting. Crow painted v...

Truyện 114. Hai cô gái và cục bứu

Xưa có một cô gái con nhà nghèo khó. Không may cho cô là khi sinh ra đã mang một cục bướu ở mặt. Người càng lớn cục bướu càng to, vì vậy nhan sắc của cô thua em kém chị. Tuy nhiên cô vẫn không lấy thế làm buồn, suốt ngày thường vui đùa ca hát. Một buổi trưa hè cô theo bạn lên rừng kiếm củi. Vì mê mải tìm nấm, cô vui chân quá bước vào rừng sâu, quên bẵng trời đã ngả về chiều, và mây thì đang kéo tới mỗi lúc một đen sầm, báo hiệu một con dông sắp tới. Quả nhiên khi cô định trở ra để gặp chúng bạn thì không kịp nữa. Gió thổi mạnh làm cho cây rừng xào xạc, cành khô gẫy răng rắc và những giọt mưa hắt vào mặt. Bất đắc dĩ cô phải chạy đi tìm chỗ ẩn. May làm sao cô chạy kịp đến một hốc cây cổ thụ, thu mình chui vào ngồi để dùng làm chỗ tránh mưa. Nhưng đến lúc mưa tạnh, bước ra khỏi hốc thì trời cũng đã tối mịt. - "Các bạn ta bây giờ chắc đã rủ nhau về cả. Đường rừng trời tối lại đi một mình thật là đáng sợ. Thôi đành ở lại đây đợi sáng, không còn ...

The Tale of the Hundred - knot Bamboo tree

Once upon a time, there had a boy who was poor, had no field. Therefore, he found the way to work for a landlord. He was healthy, worked hard and great in working so the landlord wanted him to work for him long time without any pay. One day, he called the boy to come. "You are honest and healthy. If you agree to work for me in three years without pay, I will let you marry with my only daughter after that." The boy agreed. He believed completely. He worked very hard, help the landlord turn richer that he could build more houses, buy more fields and cattles. Then, time passed. Three years nearly crossed, the boy always remembered his master's promise while his master, the landlord didn't want to do his promise. He in secret had found another boy for his daughter, a son of another landlord in that area. Therefore, what he need was a reason to refuse the boy. One day, he called the boy to come. "You have worked very hard for three years, waken early, slept late....

Truyện 110. Lấy chồng dê

Ngày xưa, ở một vùng gần biển, có hai vợ chồng nhà nọ, đầu tóc đã hoa râm mà vẫn hiếm hoi. Hai vợ chồng cầu khấn khắp nơi mong có mụn con khỏi phải hiu quạnh lúc tuổi già. Thế rồi người vợ bỗng có mang, chín tháng mười ngày đẻ ra một bọc, khi   mở   ra thì không phải là người   mà   là một con dê đực. Chồng bực mình bảo vợ đem ném xuống sông cho khuất mắt, nhưng người vợ không nỡ, khuyên chồng cứ để lại   nuôi. Trong lòng phiền não, người chồng phát ốm rồi từ giã cõi đời. Trái lại, dê thì hay ăn chóng lớn, lại biết trông gà, chăn lợn, giúp đỡ mẹ những việc vặt trong nhà. Vì thế, mẹ dê cũng phần nào khuây khỏa.

So dua - Coconut boy

Once upon a time, there in a village had a couple who worked as servants for a landlord. Although they were over fifty years old, they had ever not had a child. They were sad about that, but they had never given up to dream about a child. One day, it's a very hot day, when the wife was working in the field and felt very thirsty. She seeked for water, but she didn't see any but a little water in a skull which was in a hole beside an ancient tree. She had no choice but to drink it. Right the moment she drank, the feeling of cold water running from her throat to her stomach made her felt very comfortable. As a magic, she was pregnant after that short time. Then, the husband died before he got the happiness looking his child be born. After nine months and ten days, the wife gave birth a son but he didn't look like any child on the world. He had no feet, no leg, and even no body. He just had a head with full of eyes, nose, ear, hair and mouth on it. He didn't ugly but was ...

Bài 1.5: Cách sử dụng at, on, in cho thời gian, ngày, tháng, năm, mùa.

Chào các bạn! Bởi vì mình có hay dich truyện và một vài thứ linh tinh khác nên thường bắt gặp ngày, tháng năm. Thật ra khôngkhó để sử dụng đúng nhưng mỗi lần cần đến mình lại phải tra lại tra cứu. Điều đó rất mất thời gian nên hôm nay mình viết một bài liên quan đến at, on, in + thời gian để giúp bạn nào chưa biết và giúp chính mình nhớ được cách sử dụng của các giới từ at, on, in và dạng thời gian được theo sau giới từ đó.

My Chau and Trong Thuy

Once upon a time, there had a king, named An Duong Vuong. After many years fighting, he get a large area. The king planed to build a castle but whenever it had been built as tall as a men’s height then it was ruined. The king was unhappy. Therefore, the king had made an altar to pray God for few days until an early morning, a old man from seaside went to talk him God Turtle was going come to help him. The king was very happy and forced soldiers to wait on the seaside. The next day, in the water appeared a big gold turles toward seaside. The soldiers invited God Turtle to set sat on a big gold platter and brought to the king. The God Turtle told the king that the castle couldn’t have finished because of demons. God Turtle helped the king to kill the demons so all demons was killed. Besides, the God Turtle help the king design a castle look like a seashell with many gate levels. Half a month later, the castle had been finished. The king was very pleased but a little worry. He a...