Poinsettias Duong Phuc Tu and the grave of the Duong family

Celestial Tomb

In the 8th lunar month of 1470, the King of Champa, Tra Toan, commanded 100,000 marines to defeat Dai Viet’s Chau Hoa province. The defender of Chau Hoa, Pham Van Hien, could not stand the enemy, so he had to withdraw all his troops and people into the citadel, and then report it to the Court.

Receiving the news, King Le Thanh Tong quickly prepared 260,000 troops to attack Champa, in King Le’s army there was a talented general, Hoan Nguyen, who lived very benevolently.

This time, Dai Viet won a big victory and went straight to Champa to capture the King of Champa, Tra Toan. However, General Hoan Nguyen was killed in battle, his body was brought back to his hometown.

An anecdote says that, on the way, when passing through the Rose garden in Lac Dao village, the group took the body to rest, and the next morning people saw that the ants had buried the whole coffin. It is believed that this is a good omen of “heavenly burial”, so everyone buried General Hoang Nguyen at that location. The family also asked to be granted land in Lac Dao village near the grave so that they could build a house to take care of the grave.

The son of General Hoan Nguyen, Giang Tu Nghia Yem, was a literate person who passed the exam Huong passed the four schools, which is Huong Cong (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree today). However, he did not participate in the Association exam, but only liked teaching because that was his dream since childhood. So he accepted the position of Preacher.

Poinsettias Duong Phuc Tu

For example, Nghia Yem has a son, Duong Phuc Tu, who is very intelligent and works hard at reading books. Although he had early talent, but when the Mac Dynasty robbed the Le house, Duong Phuc Tu kept thinking about not wanting to take the exam to be an official for the Mac.

It was not until the exam in 1547 of Mac Phuc Tong’s reign that he registered for the exam when he was 43 years old. As a result, he passed the first place, ie Poinsettia, in addition to the Duong family, there were 4 people who passed this exam: Duong Phuc Tu, Duong Tri Tri, Duong Don Cuong, and Duong Van An.

According to researchers, this exam was of the best quality, stating the problems that needed to be solved in the country at that time. The examination boards are all Poinsettias, Labels, and Detectives of the previous exam. They commented on Duong Phuc Tu’s book article: “The essential thing, the right man, the scholar, the scholar, the way of the world” (Meaning: the answer is essential, this is the pen. great, is the foot of the grape who has emerged to practice the Way).

Do Trang Nguyen, Duong Phuc Tu gradually rose to the position of Thuong Thuong of the Army, and was awarded the title of Tu Khanh Thieu Bao and Duong general by the king. But during this period, there was a constant war between factions, the courtiers manipulated, “The king is not king, I am not myself”. Therefore, Duong Phuc Tu decided to return to his hometown to teach.

Duong Phuc Tu died in 1563 at the age of 59. The class and descendants of the Duong family in Lac Dao village all inherited his teachings. From the 16th to the 18th century, many people passed the exam, including many who passed the doctoral program such as Duong Thuan, Duong Hoang, Duong Khuong, Duong Hao, Duong Le, Duong Cong Thu, Duong Khiem, Duong Su, Duong Don, Duong Hieu.