Nguyen Kim (1468-1545) was a distinguished general in Vietnam during the Le So dynasty and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Le Trung Hung dynasty. According to the “Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu,” Nguyen Kim was the son of An Hoa Hầu Nguyen Hoang Du and the grandson of Nghia Huan Vuong Nguyen Van Lang during the reign of King Le Chieu Tong. However, recent researchers referencing the genealogy of the Nguyen Gia Mieu family suggest that Nguyen Kim and Nguyen Hoang Du were actually cousins. Nguyen Kim was born to Nguyen Van Luu, who was the brother of Nguyen Van Lang and the uncle of Nguyen Hoang Du.
At the end of the Le So dynasty, Nguyen Kim was granted the title An Thanh Hầu. When the Mac dynasty seized the throne in 1527, the descendants of the Le family fled. During this time, most of the former officials of the Le dynasty sided with the Mac or left for other places, but Nguyen Kim focused on gathering talented individuals from all directions, retreating to the Thanh Hoa region bordering Laos. There, he reached an agreement with the Laotian king, Sa Dau, allowing him to establish a base in Sam Chau to support the Le dynasty in their fight against the Mac.
Illustrative image.
In 1520, Nguyen Kim led his troops to Thanh Hoa. Mac Dang Doanh sent his general, Ngoc Truc, to engage in battle in Loi Duong district (now Tho Xuan, Thanh Hoa), where Ngoc Truc was defeated and fled. In 1531, Nguyen Kim successfully attacked Mac general Nguyen Kinh in Dong Son district (Thanh Hoa). When he advanced to the Diem Thuy ferry in Gia Vien district (Ninh Binh), he fought against Mac general Le Ba Ly but was forced to retreat to Sam Ha in Ai Lao due to heavy rain and the arrival of more enemy ships.
By 1533, Nguyen Kim had located the son of King Le Chieu Tong, Le Duy Ninh, in Thanh Hoa and brought him to Sam Chau, where he was crowned King Le Trang Tong. In 1540, Nguyen Kim marched back to the homeland, stationed in Nghe An, gaining the loyalty of many talented individuals. In 1542, he began capturing districts in Thanh Hoa one by one.
In 1543, Nguyen Kim escorted the king Le to the western capital to confront Mac Chinh Trung (the second son of Mac Dang Doanh) and later established a command center in Van Lai commune, Tho Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province. The king appointed Nguyen Kim as Thai Su and Hung Quoc Cong, giving him full military command. In 1543, Nguyen Kim’s forces successfully seized the western capital (Thanh Hoa), helping the king gradually reclaim lost territories and consolidating his power.
However, in 1545, Nguyen Kim was assassinated as a result of a betrayal orchestrated by a Mac general named Duong Chap Nhat, who hailed from Hoang Hoa (Thanh Hoa) and served as a martial officer in the Mac court under Mac Dang Doanh. Holding the title Trung Hau Hầu and managing three districts in Thanh Hoa, Duong Chap Nhat, seeing that his master Mac Dang Doanh was constantly threatened by the Le, devised a plan to infiltrate the Le’s ranks and personally carried out this mission. To execute his scheme, Duong Chap Nhat submitted his entire family to the Le dynasty, expressing his desire to surrender. The Le king was delighted to have won over a talented general from the Mac, unaware of the treachery behind his façade.
Duong Chap Nhat quickly gained the trust of the Le king and his court officials, particularly Thai Su Nguyen Kim. Consequently, when he hosted a banquet, Nguyen Kim attended eagerly, oblivious to the deadly trap awaiting him. The food and drink served to Nguyen Kim were poisoned, leading to the demise of this illustrious general. A significant obstacle for the Mac dynasty had been removed. Following the assassination, Duong Chap Nhat escaped and was rewarded handsomely by Mac Dang Doanh for his treachery.
Reflections on Duong Chap Nhat’s Poisoning of Nguyen Kim:
According to the story, it was the Le king’s misplaced trust that allowed a traitor to infiltrate his ranks, resulting in the death of his close advisor. Ironically, the perpetrator of this crime received rewards for his actions. Such events are reflective of the past; had they occurred today, Duong Chap Nhat would have faced criminal prosecution for murder under Article 93 of the 1999 Penal Code.
It is a lamentable fate for a valiant general who had endured countless hardships to restore the Le dynasty only to lose his life due to a moment of negligence and an underestimation of a cunning enemy’s plot. This reinforces the ancient wisdom: “It’s easy to draw a tiger’s skin, but hard to depict its bones; knowing a person’s face does not mean knowing their heart.” This tale leaves us with profound insights about trust and the use of talent in leadership.