The reputation of Nghe An people through Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks

(Baonghean) -From ancient times to the present, Nghe An has been a land of "spiritual land and talented people". This land is famous for its studious spirit. Therefore, there are many talented people here. During the feudal period, in any dynasty, Nghe An contributed outstanding people to the country. When the Nguyen Dynasty ruled the country, the talented people of Nghe An were recruited even more, there were dozens of famous people of Nghe An working in the royal court. Among the 13 kings of the Nguyen Dynasty, King Minh Mang was famous for being a person who valued talented people and this wise king paid great attention to the talented people of Nghe An.

During the times when the Nguyen Dynasty implemented the policy of "Recruiting and Treating Scholars" to serve the dynasty, Nghe An people demonstrated their excellent qualities. This was demonstrated in the times when the court recruited talented people. Through which most of the talented people of Nghe An were superior to those of other localities. That made King Minh Mang admire. The Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks, which are being preserved at the National Archives Center IV (Da Lat), are the first heritage to be recognized as a world documentary heritage. This is a valuable and highly accurate document. Among the many contents that this document contains, there is a reflection of King Minh Mang praising Nghe An people for their heroic spirit and generosity. This event took place during the time King Minh Mang discussed with his mandarins about recruiting talented people.

Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks reflect King Minh Mang praising Nghe An people for their heroic spirit.

The woodblock of the book “Dai Nam Thuc Luc Chinh Bien De Nhi Ky”, volume 41, year Minh Mang 7 (1826) recorded: “The Minister of Rites, Nguyen Dang Tuan, said: “The state values ​​students based on their practicality. The tribute students and the Giam students are young and have not yet maintained their character firmly, and the officials in the dinh and towns are often corrupt and not clean. If they are allowed to stay nearby, they are afraid of being influenced by bad habits, and it is difficult to hope for success. Moreover, the Huyen Linh is a position close to the people, and choosing to appoint someone to work under the authority of the dinh and towns is not certain to avoid the evil of relying on and entrusting. I think it is better to leave them in the ministry, so that they can be close to the carriage and palanquin to study politics every day, so that when they take responsibility for taking care of the people, they can keep themselves clean and careful, and not be manipulated by the private officials.” The king asked Hoang Kim Xan about Dang Tuan’s words, Xan replied: “Dang Tuan is right.” The king said: “What you say is also reasonable. However, the king cannot distinguish between people in the court and the district. It is the same when changing places. The tribute students and the supervisors are indeed talented, but how can they lose their will? If they are not good people, it is difficult to hope to succeed even in the six ministries. Moreover, to control a locality, I have given them to the military headquarters, but the tribute students and supervisors cannot be used to live together and study, and the district magistrate cannot delegate the selection? Think carefully, do not be bound by that prejudice". So he ordered the Ministry of Personnel to measure the distance and divide them into localities to wait for the appointment, each month giving them 3 quan in money and 3 square meters of rice. When there was a vacancy for the position of District Chief or District Commissioner, the local official would request a temporary appointment for half a year, and if they could do the job, they would be given a real appointment. When the Ministry of Personnel presented the list, the king invited them to the Dong Cac, and gave them detailed instructions, first about the relationship between the king and his subjects, then about the method of holding the position. He also gave each person 20 taels of silver and sent them on the postal route. Most of the appointed Huong Cong were from Nghe An. The king asked Tham Tri Phan Huy Thuc about this point: "Is it because those people are good at studying?" Thuc replied: "The students of Nghe An are mostly studious." The king said: "I see that the people of Nghe An are heroic and generous, except for Phu Xuan and Gia Dinh, there is no place like them; therefore, most of the personal soldiers of the kings of our holy dynasty are from Nghe An. That is a blessing for the dynasty".

The story of King Minh Mang praising the people of Nghe An for their heroic spirit shows that Nghe An is a land with many talented people who come from real learning. Minh Mang was a very strict king but he still had to bow to the talented people of Nghe An. That shows that no matter the circumstances, the talented people of Nghe An can demonstrate their abilities. From ancient times to the present, Nghe An has been famous for being a land of studiousness and that is the factor that makes this land never lack talented people recognized by society.

Le Khac Nien (National Archives Center IV, No. 2 - Yet Kieu - Ward 5 - Da Lat - Lam Dong)