Nine years after Ly Thai To moved the capital city from Hoa Lu to Thang Long, in Thai Hoa ward (near Cung Mountain, above the area of the now Botanical Garden), a child was born in Thang Long and afterwards succeeded in saving the country and its people. The boy’s name was Ngo Tuan whose mother’s surname was Han. He was the son of Sung Tiet, leader of the army - Ngo An Ngu, which was a small title in the reign of Ly Thai Tong King.
When he was a child, Ngo Tuan was famous for being handsome, intelligent and vivacious. The strong-willed boy devotedly learned literature. Naturally born in a martial arts family, Ngo Tuan practiced to use bow and sword, established strategy plans every day, and pondered arts of war every night. With his intelligence as well as hard-workingness, Ngo Tuan quickly understood thoroughly the arts of war and he read more literature and morality books. When he was 23, with his handsome face, he was appointed as Hoang mon chi hau, a eunuch to fuss over Ly Thai Tong King. In 1054, Ly Thanh Tong became King and nominated him Bong hanh quan hieu uy. Every day he stayed side by side with the King and advised the young King against wrong things. Due to his devotion, he was appointed Kiem hieu thai bao, allowed to get the King’s surname and thus changed his name to Ly Thuong Kiet.
At that time, the nation of Dai Viet was in hard circumstances. Both the Southern and Northern borders were in danger. In the North, Tong dynasty attempted to invade, while in the South, Champa armed forces continuously disturbed. Tong dynasty wanted to use Champa as a dagger to threaten Dai Viet at the back so that Tong dynasty could attack on its front easily. In that situation, Ly Thanh Tong King and Ly Thuong Kiet concluded to attack Champa “in order to keep the back intact and cope with the front enemy - Tong invader”.
In February 1069, Ly Thuong Kiet followed Ly Thanh Tong King to lead the armed forces to “pacify Chiem enemy”. He was nominated Top-ranking General, wearing Marshal honorary and receiving Pioneer stamp. The great army of Ly dynasty successfully mounted a punitive expedition in the South and arrested Che Cu - Champa’s King. Ly Thuong Kiet was thereafter appointed High-ranking mandarin, and kept Dynasty founder title to lead the whole army. Together with the Great tutor, Ly Dao Thanh, Ly Thuong Kiet made every effort to help the King build Dai Viet into a prosperous and traditional nation.
In 1072, Ly Thanh Tong King died, and Can Duc crown prince was put on the throne when he was small. The nation’s fate was concentrated on the shoulders of some important people in the court such as Ly Thuong Kiet and Ly Dao Thanh. Holding the army power in his hands, Ly Thuong Kiet “devoted to keep the national peace”. Ly Thuong Kiet proved his political talent and devotion to the nation and its people, showing his capability in building the country as well as ensuring national independence. He actually became the spirit of Ly dynasty and the spirit of the war against Tong dynasty in the 60s of the 11th century.
After the failure of the conspiracy of having Champa to attack Dai Viet, Tong dynasty tried its best to make Kham Chau, Liem Chau and other camps in Tong - Vietnam borders become military and logistic bases to prepare for a large-scale invasion to Dai Viet. Keeping a close eye on every move of the enemy, Ly Thuong Kiet made an important decision: “prior attack to control people”, that is he would lead the armed forces to kill the enemy in its den because “staying to wait for the enemy was not as good as leading the army in advance to stop the enemy from growing” - an ideology of “attack for self-defense”, which was uniquely creative at that time.
Ly Thuong Kiet commanded 100,000 soldiers who were divided into land and water troops to move towards the North, broke the enemy’s border bases and took the advantage of the victory to move forward to Ung Chau, Kham Chau and Liem Chau. After 42 days and nights of fierce, ingenious and courageous attacks, Dai Viet army commanded by Ly Thuong Kiet and other commanders of Ly dynasty occupied Ung Chau capital. The Spring of 1076 became a victorious season. After achieving the objective, Ly Thuong Kiet withdrew the armed forces and urgently prepared to cope with the new revenging attack of the enemy.
In March 1076, Tong dynasty appointed Tuyen phu su (4th mandarin grade) of Quang Nam named Quach Quy and Trieu Tiet to lead 100,000 expeditionary soldiers, 10,000 horses and 200,000 laborers to invade Dai Viet. With the initial strong will, Tong dynasty overflew through a shortcut in Dau Dinh mountain range to the west of Phu Luong river bank. Meanwhile, another arm of Tong’s army went to the east to attack in the rear of Dai Viet army in Giap Khau (Chi Lang), then went straightly to Nhu Nguyet river (Cau river).
Ly Nhan Tong King appointed Ly Thuong Kiet to command the army to attack ahead, and establish the defense system on the Southern bank of the Nhu Nguyet river to stop Tong troops. This river originated from Luc Dau running into the sea, which was a natural, deep and wide trench to protect the river delta of Dai Viet and prevent the invasion of foreign countries by land from Luong Quang (China). Behind this natural trench, to the west was the Tam Dao mountain range - a citadel which was really difficult to surpass. The mountain and river status with full of obstacles and difficult access facilitated the defensive plan against Tong invader of Ly Thuong Kiet. In order to prevent Tong’s army from crossing the river, Ly Thuong Kiet ordered to embark Nam Ngac Dyke which was as high as a citadel wall. On this wall, Ly’s army put bamboo stakes to make fences with several levels. The soil wall of the bamboo fences went along the river dike connected to Tam Dao mountain range to protect the whole delta.
The fiercest attacks in the war between Tong and Dai Viet took place at this defense line. At first, with cavalries to clear ways, Tong’s army attacked fiercely, and sometimes broke through the defense line of Ly’s army to cross Nhu Nguyet river. However, in those “precarious situations”, Dai Viet’s army and people timely counter-attacked to push back Tong’s army to the Northern bank of the river. While the war was so fierce, in order to motivate soldiers’ spirit, at night Ly Thuong Kiet secretly asked one person to go to Truong Hong and Truong Hat temples at the bank of Nhu Nguyet river and loudly read a poem, which goes:
Over mountains and rivers of Vietnam, reigns the King of Vietnam
The boundary is clearly identified in the Book of Heaven
How dare those enemies invade our land?
You will be terribly attacked.
The poem resounded sonorously at night as a magic remedy which could move hearts of Dai Viet’s people who were taking weapons to protect the nation, encourage their enthusiasm and determination of fighting to protect their nation. The poem was forceful as a declaration which praised the tradition of national independence and self-control and affirmed the origin and united territory of the nation.
The sense of purposes and uprightness and the sacred spirit of Vietnam seemed to be converged in each word and sentence of the poem. It inspired the enthusiasm and pride, and raised Dai Viet’s spirit in the deep consciousness of each soldier at Nhu Nguyet defense line who were suddenly filled with enthusiasm upon hearing the poem. They then made every effort to kill the enemy to achieve a feat.
Not long after, Tong’s army who was not supported by their navy force was running into a dilemma. They were worn out by fierce fighting and hot and humid climate of Vietnam. Meanwhile Ly’s army under the control of Ly Thuong Kiet continuously held surprising attacks, disturbed and killed the enemy. In a sudden attack, barracks of the second-in-command Trieu Tiet were damaged, Hoang Chan and Chieu Van who were Ly dynasty’s princes sacrificed heroically. At that time, Tong’s army was worn out gradually, with only 30-40% survived. Ly Thuong Kiet quickly realized an important situation that Tong’s army was extremely difficult. At the same time, with sharp political views and infinite kindness, he also saw great losses which were experienced and suffered by Ly’s army during the war. Therefore, although his army had advantage on the battlefield, Ly Thuong Kiet decided to appoint a king’s envoy to see general commander of Tong’s army to “hold peace talks”, stop the war, recover peace and send Tong’s army back. Quach Quy - general commander of Tong’s army - immediately agreed to hold peace talks and withdraw the army. This was really a comprehensive victory, brilliant feat of arms which presented thoroughly Ly Thuong Kiet’s outstanding strategic talents, humane views and spirits.
After the war, as the leading mandarin in the dynasty, Ly Thuong Kiet together with the dynasty and all people of Dai Viet made every effort to overcome the war’s consequences, build and protect the nation with a long history left by our ancestors.
On June 1105, Ly Thuong Kiet died when he was 87 years old. Ly Nhan Tong King awarded him with the titles of Nhap noi dien do tri and Binh Chuong high-ranking mandarin, Vietnamese Grand duke title, provided 10,000 households to establish a village and nominated his younger brother named Ly Thuong Hien with the position of a marquis.
When he died, all people mourned over him, commemorated him and built temples in many places such as An Xa village (Gia Lam, Ha Noi) and Ngo Xa commune (Vinh Loc, Thanh Hoa) ... Ly Thuong Kiet’s merits and career would live forever with time. The “magic” poem called Nam quoc son ha (The mountains and rivers of Vietnam) became the first independence declaration of Vietnam that marked the gigantic developing step in spirits and thoughts of our nation along the history.
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