The Tran Dynasty was established in December of the Year of the Rooster (1225) with the event that Ly Chieu Hoang descended to cede the throne to her husband Tran Canh and ended his role in the February of the Year of the Dragon (1400) when Tran Thieu De was killed by his grandfather. Ho Quy Ly deposed to usurp the throne.
History books say that Ho Quy Ly had two aunts who were concubines of King Tran Minh Tong, one was concubine Minh Tu (after the birth of Tran Phu, ie King Tran Nghe Tong) and one was made Don. From the royal consort (later born Tran Kinh, ie King Tran Due Tong). Ho Quy Ly’s path to fame began during the reign of Tran Nghe Tong with a very humble first position as Chi Hau, the chief executive officer, but after a while he was continuously promoted, starting in the year of the New Year. (1371) when he became a concubine of the Tran dynasty. That year, Tran Nghe Tong gave Quy Ly the title of Trung Tuyen Quoc Thuong Hou, the position of the Secret Conclave of Ambassadors, followed by the position of Military Staff (1375), the Non-Secretary Consortium of the Ambassador (1379), Nguyen Nhung. , in charge of Hai Tay Do Marshal (1380), Dong Binh Chuong (1387), stripped of Tuyen Trung Vy Quoc Dai Vuong (1395)…
It can be seen that, at first, Quy Ly was just a grandson of Tran Minh Tong, then became the son-in-law of this king, so with Minh Tong’s children Tran Hien Tong, Tran Du Tong, Tran Nghe Tong and Tran Due Tong, he is both a brother-in-law, and at the same time the brother of his son and daughter. Not to mention that Quy Ly is also Tran Due Tong’s brother-in-law, Tran Phe De’s maternal cousin, Tran Thuan Tong’s father-in-law and Tran Thieu De’s grandfather. It all started with a marriage relationship, which helped Quy Ly gradually increase her power, influence over the Tran dynasty and finally take the throne back to her own hands. In February of the Dragon year (1400), Quy Ly usurped the throne of his grandson Tran Thieu De, changed his surname Le to Ho, and founded the Ho dynasty.
The last king of the Tran Dynasty was Tran Thieu De, whose real name was An (it is written in the book that An) was born in the year of Binh Ti (1396). This child king ascended the throne when he was only 3 years old (according to the age of Mu), after being on the throne for nearly 2 years (1398 – 1400), he was deposed as Bao Ninh Dai Vuong. Besides Tran An, the official history did not mention any other children of Tran Thuan Tong, so she Princess Who is the last of the Tran Dynasty, the daughter of which king?
Statue of King Tran Thuan Tong at Tran temple. Photo: thuvienlichsu.com.
According to tradition in Luu Pho commune, My Loc district, Thien Truong palace (now Luu Pho village, My Phuc commune, My Loc district, Nam Dinh province) and the content of the Ngoc pha village was composed by Dr. Year of the Dog (1490) is kept at Trinh Son pagoda in Luu Pho village, then she The last princess of the Tran Dynasty Her name is Tran Thi Bach Hoa.
It is said that Tran Thuan Tong once sailed through Luu Pho, happened to see a beautiful girl parked a small boat by the reed beach and sang a clear song that made everyone fall in love. The king stopped the boat to ask and learned that the girl’s name was Diep Dieu Hien, the daughter of Diep The Xuan – a famous teacher or word in the area. Because he loved that girl, the king immediately sent someone to bring the ceremony to the Diep family’s house to ask for the wedding and hold the wedding ceremony right on the boat, then Tran Thuan Tong took Diep Dieu Hien back to Thang Long as concubine.
The concubine Dieu Hien was very favored by the king, the two people with their hearts and minds often went on a trip to the mountains, enjoyed tea and poetry… Some time later, the concubine became pregnant, until the hour of the Rabbit on the 1st day of the 2nd month of the year Nham Tuat. 1382) gave birth to a daughter named Bach Hoa. Growing up, the beautiful, gentle princess was very fond of reading; She often returned to her mother’s hometown in Luu Pho to visit the people’s lives, encourage farming and mourning.
Legend has it that before he ascended to the throne, Tran Thuan Tong at that time still held the title of Champa King, had a friend, a very good general Tuu Hoa, who once advised him to leave the place of fame and fortune, to go hidden or go to trade. To avoid disaster, Bach Hoa’s daughter was sent to the temple to be saved by Buddha. After hearing the advice, he didn’t think it was right, so he gave you 10 taels of gold and 20 taels of silver, but Tuu Hoa didn’t accept it and then retired, since then he hasn’t been back.
When Tran Thuan Tong became king, at that time the main dynasty was degenerate, all power was in the hands of Ho Quy Ly, the king had no real power, just as in the book Dai Viet history book, there is a passage that says: “The king just sat and kept watch. The throne is empty, the affairs of the country are in the hands of the gods, the calamity is to the body without knowing it, how pitiful!” Or as the book Vietnamese history of the case clearly states: “Although he is a king, he only keeps his position, acting as a puppet king”.
In order to gradually seize power, in November of the year Dinh Suu (1397) Ho Quy Ly forced the king to move the capital to Thanh Hoa, taking An Ton citadel (now in Vinh Loc district) as the new capital, called Tay Do citadel, and Thanh Hoa citadel. Thang Long was changed to Dong Do. Not long after, at the beginning of the Year of the Tiger (1398), specifically: “Spring, March, the 15th, Le Quy Ly forced the king to cede the throne to Prince An” (Dai Viet historical record toan thu), continued. Then he forced Tran Thuan Tong to practice Taoism and made Bao Thanh palace in the southwest of Dai Lai mountain, Thanh Hoa land, and brought the king there, but actually kept him under house arrest.
Beautiful princess. Photo: kenhsinhvien.vn.
In that context, sympathizing with the fate of princess Bach Hoa, Ho Quy Ly’s eldest son, Ho Nguyen Trung, secretly sent a boatman to take the princess to the North to take refuge. Perhaps receiving the entrustment of Ho Nguyen Trung, when she went to the North, Princess Bach Hoa was protected and concealed by the An Phu of Dong Do, Nguyen Bang Cu, a benevolent and loyal person.
In order to avoid eyes and ears that could endanger Bach Hoa’s life, the Ancestral Palace Nguyen Bang Cu personally carried out and secretly took the princess to the Bo Da mountain in Cam Long mountain, where the mountains and water mingled. Before leaving, he left her a little money for the body and a few small boats parked at the foot of the mountain.
On the top of Bo Da, there is a small pagoda called Dien Binh self. Because of little care, the pagoda is almost abandoned, covered with moss. When coming here, Princess Bach Hoa was determined to give up the worldly life, embark on the path of spiritual practice, daily chanting and reciting the Buddha’s name to pray for the peace of the country and people, favorable weather and favorable weather, and take the dharma name Thu Thu Zen Master. . She has devoted a lot of effort to restore the scene of Zen sect, turning the formerly deserted temple crowded with people to offer incense and worship; Since then, people have called the pagoda after the mountain’s name Bo Da pagoda.
In her spare time, the princess often went to a nearby mountain to watch the clouds, the sky, the water, write poems and scenes, once she told her disciple Tue Hoan Zen master about her poetry collection with the title “Ai aunt”. hate school”. In addition to that, sometimes the princess used a boat to go to the river to go to the forest to pick leaves to make medicine to save people. People around the area who were helped are all wearing the princess’s grace, rumors about a talented nun spread, wandering people, poor people who had to go to different places to ask for food gradually came, gathered day by day. many create a crowded, bustling place.
On the 6th day of August, the year of Giap Tuat (1454) of the reign of King Le Nhan Tong, Thu Thu Zen master or princess Bach Hoa Vien passed away at 72 years old; The people of Luu Pho were grateful for her virtue for setting up tablets in communal houses, pagodas and palaces for worship, then changed the name of Bo Da pagoda to Trinh Tiet pagoda to remind her of the virgin gold leaf princess. Buddhist practice is not entangled in dust. Every year, on the 6th day of the 8th month (lunar calendar), commemorating the death of Princess Bach Hoa, the villagers of Luu Pho organize an offering of incense and flowers at temples, pagodas and palaces.
Dr. Le Tung, who composed the version of Ngoc gene about Princess Bach Hoa, also wrote the poem “The Bay of Trinh Tiet” in the collection of poems “Giang Ho Chi Chi” with the following content:
Bach Hoa, the late Tran Dynasty girl,
Come here to take refuge in this place.
The north bank of Le mountain has thousands of trees,
The mountains stretch back and forth to the south bank.
Dear sent to a place of meditation,
The longing away from the dusty world.
undulating ramparts far and near,
The sound of the flute wafted in the late afternoon.
(Translated by Duong Van Vuong)
Trinh Tiet pagoda gate at the foot of Trinh Son mountain. Photo: giacngo.vn.
The story of Bach Hoa, the last princess of the Tran dynasty, seems clear that there is nothing to discuss, but compared to the historical records, some information will be different.
We all know, Tran Thuan Tong was king for 10 years (1388-1398) but had no real power, at first everything was decided by his father Thai Thuong Emperor Tran Nghe Tong, then the military affairs. The main court was held by the king’s father-in-law, Le Quy Ly (ie, Ho Quy Ly), the king was always in a situation of pressure and house arrest, where did he find time to go on a tour to have fun and meet the beautiful people of the place? the world. Tran Thuan Tong’s fate is exactly like the book Dai Viet History of the Pre-Bien Bien, where it is written: “As a king, he only keeps the throne, lives off of it, every year he lives, every day he dies, is held by the wicked gods, how pitiful.” .
The main history records that Tran Thuan Tong was born in October of the year of the Horse (1378), while according to the Ngoc genea version of Princess Bach Hoa, she was born in the month of February of the year of the Dog (1382), so there can be no such thing. A 4-year-old who already has a baby. Official documents only mention one son of King Tran Thuan Tong, that is Tran An, born by Queen Kham Thanh in the year of the Rat (1396).
Ngoc Thanh Restaurant. Photo: dulichdongtrieu.vn.
In March of the Year of the Rabbit (1399), Tran Thuan Tong was forced to cede the throne to his son Tran An and then left home to worship Taoism at Ngoc Thanh restaurant in Dam Thuy village, Thuy An commune (now in Dong Trieu district, Quang Ninh province). Not long after, he was forced to death, at the age of 21. If Bach Hoa was really the king’s daughter, then at that time she was still very young, she could not have been at the age of 17 to realize the danger to the royal family and herself and go into refuge, just like recorded in Ngoc genea. .
In addition, in the research works on the concubines, the princess of the Tran dynasty did not see any mention of Princess Bach Hoa, was the princess the daughter of another Tran king, or maybe the daughter of a prince in the royal family? was given the title of princess under Tran Thuan Tong, so it led to the confusion that she was the child of this king?.
The last kings of the Tran dynasty were Tran Phe De, Tran Thuan Tong and Tran Thieu De, there are no records of children in history books, or only sons; Thus, the last princess of the Tran dynasty could only be the daughter of Tran Due Tong. Excluding two sons, Tran Vi and Tran Nghiem (also known as Tran Hien, later King Tran Phe De), Tran Due Tong’s daughter has a princess Trang Huy (married to Prince Tran Nguyen Dan). Lord Tuyen Huy (married King King Tran Huc) and Princess Huy Chan (later married Le Loi, ie King Le Thai To).
The last princess of the Tran Dynasty could be Princess Huy Chan, who was taken out of the palace by her mother, Cung concubine Bach Ngoc (real name Tran Thi Ngoc Hoa) before the fluctuations of the court and returned to live in hiding. Tra Son mountain range (now in Duc Tho district, Ha Tinh province), later Lam Son insurgent army operating in this area received financial and food support from her mother and daughter. At the same time, the heroic boy met the boat girl, and the love between the hero Lam Son and Princess Huy Chan blossomed and fell in love. Later, when the “Binh Ngo” career was completed, Le Loi ascended the throne to establish the Later Le Dynasty, Lord Huy Chan was named Trinh Thuc consort, then she gave birth to a daughter named Le Thi Ngoc. Chau (nicknamed Princess Trang Tu).
In the village of Ho Doi (now in Thuy Phuong commune, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province) worship two village founders as the Citadel, namely Pho Ma, Lieutenant Phung The Ky and his wife, Princess Thien Huong. According to the legend, Phung The Ky was a talented general who was loved by King Tran Thuan Tong, so he married his daughter, Princess Thien Huong, and gave him the title Chieu Thao An. When the Tran dynasty lost the throne, the couple formed an army named Ho Bon to fight the Ho Dynasty but failed, the concubine and the princess took their trusted friends to the sea on An Tiem road, choosing a wasteland. to open the land to establish a village, to raise the spirit of “Phu Tran kill Ho” and name the village Ho Doi to remember his army of Ho Bon. The story is like that, but about Princess Thien Huong, perhaps she is also the daughter of another king, not the son of King Tran Thuan Tong.