4.5 meter long ancient brocade plaque of merit to General Nguyen Trong Thuong

Trinh Quan Cong Nguyen Trong Thuong was born into a family of famous generals inNghe An in the Le DynastyHe was the eldest son of Hoang Quan Cong Nguyen Ke Hung, the 6th generation direct descendant of Grand Tutor Cuong Quoc Cong Nguyen Xi.

He was intelligent, studious, and a military general, so the court respected him and appointed him to the position of General of the Imperial Guard, Commander of the Imperial Guard. With that position, Nguyen Trong Thuong actively participated in the "supporting Le" cause, bringing stability to the country.

The My Temple worships Hoang Quan Cong Nguyen Ke Hung and Trinh Quan Cong Nguyen Trong Thuong. Photo: Van Thang

In the year of Tan Mao (1591), he began to lead troops under Binh An Vuong Trinh Tung to launch a general attack on the Mac dynasty. Due to his great contributions in the battle at Phan Thuong, he was granted the title of Phu Quoc Thuong Tuong Quan and the title of Nhan Loc Hau by King Le Than Tong.

After this battle, seeing his talent, Lord Trinh Tung praised him and sent him to escort King Le The Tong and the generals of the Le dynasty to besiege Thang Long citadel in the year of Nham Thin (1592). King Le The Tong and the court returned to the capital Thang Long, granted amnesty to the whole country and considered rewarding the great mandarins, among whom was the military general Nguyen Trong Thuong.

The following period was a period of extremely great upheavals in the Le - Trinh court, such as the coronation and usurpation of power by Lord Trinh Tung. Or when hearing news of the Le - Trinh court's upheaval, the Mac general Mac Kinh Khoan hastily brought troops from Cao Bang to retake the capital Thang Long. In that extremely urgent situation, General Nguyen Trong Thuong proved to be a decisive and resourceful general. He contributed many good plans and ideas in discussing the work of protecting the capital Thang Long against the threat of the Mac army.

In particular, in August 1623, Nguyen Trong Thuong escorted Lord Trinh Trang to lead troops to intercept the Mac army at Gia Lam, forcing the Mac general Mac Kinh Khoan to withdraw his troops, causing many subordinates to surrender to the Le - Trinh dynasty. In 1625, Trinh Trang ordered generals including Nguyen Trong Thuong to lead troops to defeat the Mac dynasty.

With his prestige and contributions to his military career, helping to stabilize the Le - Trinh dynasty, Nguyen Trong Thuong was considered one of the leading meritorious officials and was granted many great favors. Most notably, King Le Than Tong bestowed upon him a Decree praising his merits and career and granting him the highest rank. That was the Decree issued on April 11, year 11 of Vinh To (1629).

The style has the following passage:“Heaven, for the sake of the country, will certainly give birth to talented people. The King will favor his subjects and will certainly give them titles and salaries to show their virtue. General Nguyen Trong Thuong, with outstanding martial arts, comes from a noble family. His ancestors were strict and respectful, founding heroes, whose achievements are recorded in history. His father was a wise and brave man, a hero of the revival of the cause, whose achievements are recorded on bells and cauldrons. He inherited a great career, restored the old ways, used troops according to military tactics, and made the family proud. He pursued the country's affairs with all his heart, loyal and respectful. In the palace, he was a confidant, always by the king's side to protect him. Outside the palace, you were a fierce general, trying your best to roam. Defeating the enemy and winning many victories. In return for your merits, why not bestow even more graces…”

The 4.5m long edict conferring the title of Duke on General Nguyen Trong Thuong. Photo: Van Thang

Through the Decree, we can see that the time mentioned in the decree was 1591, but it was not until 30 years later that this decree was issued. The battle mentioned was the biggest and most decisive battle in theWar between North and South Korea. The time, place and events at that time, in Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu, only recorded one general of the Trinh army, Nguyen Huu Lieu, and no one else. Thus, through this decree, we know that another general also participated in this important battle.

A decree is a legal document, often used when promulgating a reward - punishment system or granting - removing titles. This can also be considered a form of royal decree that the king often uses to bestow or confer titles on someone, but is only promulgated in special circumstances and for those with special achievements and merits. A decree is not limited to a certain framework like a decree but can say more. With this type of decree, the king can freely express his feelings towards the person he wants to bestow a title on.

In 1655, Lord Nguyen and General Nguyen Huu Tien mobilized tens of thousands of troops and 100 elephants to cross the Gianh River (Quang Binh) to launch a surprise attack on Dang Ngoai, occupying 7 districts on the left bank of the Lam River and forcing Nghe An people to migrate to the South. Faced with this situation, the Le Trinh King's court sent General Nguyen Trong Thuong and other generals to concentrate troops to fight back fiercely, forcing Lord Nguyen's troops to retreat and return 7 districts along the southern bank of the Lam River.

In this fierce battle, unfortunately, he was killed in battle. The royal court was extremely saddened and had his body brought back to be buried in the South of Dong Lam, Thuong Xa commune, away from the tomb of Khai To Dinh Quan Cong Nguyen Hoi and the tomb of the first ancestor Thai Su.Duke Nguyen Xiabout 300m to the North. The royal court mourned him with the parallel sentence: "Living as a strong general among three armies. Dying as a sacred god for all eternity". King Le - Lord Trinh also granted his descendants 300 acres of hereditary land in Thuong Xa commune to build a Than Hoang temple to worship him, next to the North behind the temple of Grand Master Cuong Quoc Cong Nguyen Xi.

The "Imperial Order" seal and the 11th year of Vinh To reign (1629). Photo: Van Thang

Nguyen Trong Thuong followed the tradition of his ancestors on the path of military career, becoming a character with many marks in the history of Vietnam in the 17th century, and a typical representative of famous people of Nghe An in the restoration of the Le dynasty. Currently, his temple in Nghi Hop commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province still preserves many valuable artifacts, especially the most unique Dao che phong in Vietnam today.

The above mentioned decree has been around for nearly 400 years but its writing is still intact. In particular, this decree has a record size with a length of 4.5m, a width of 0.5m, written on a silk brocade strip, with 319 Chinese characters in graceful and sophisticated calligraphy. This is an extremely rare ancient document in the national cultural heritage treasure.