Frugal lifestyle of the first-ranked scholar Mac Dinh Chi

Mac Dinh Chi Temple in Nam Tan Commune (Nam Sach)

Abnormal appearance

Mac Dinh Chi, whose real name was Tiet Phu, was from Lung Dong village, Chi Linh district, Hai Duong province, now Long Dong village, Nam Tan commune (Nam Sach). He was short and ugly but was more intelligent than others. Because he was good at writing, King Chieu Quoc Tran Ich Tac accepted him as a disciple, provided him with money for his education, and then he became talented and helped the world.

In March, the year of Giap Thin (1304), King Tran Anh Tong opened the Thai Hoc Sinh examination to search for talents throughout the country. There were 44 people who passed the examination. Mac Dinh Chi passed the exam as the first-ranking scholar and was appointed as the Royal Secretary, Bang Nhan Bui Mo passed the exam as the Royal Secretary, Tam Hoa Lang Truong Phong passed the exam as the Second-ranking scholar. After the exam, to honor the new talents of the country, King Tran Anh Tong led the three top candidates to Long Mon of Phuong Thanh for a 3-day tour of the streets.

Despite his great reputation, Mac Dinh Chi was short in stature, so King Tran Anh Tong often criticized him for being ugly. Not feeling self-conscious, Mac Dinh Chi wrote the poem “Ngoc Tinh Lien” (Sen in the Jade Well) to talk about himself. After reading it, King Tran Anh Tong kept praising him as a genius.

Talent

Taking up the position of Royal Secretary, Mac Dinh Chi was ordered to go on a diplomatic mission to China. The wooden block of the book Imperial Annals of Vietnam, volume 9, engraved on the second page, recorded: “Sent an envoy to the Yuan Dynasty. The Yuan Dynasty’s Vu Tong had just ascended the throne, and sent the Minister of State, An Lo Uy, to report. The King sent Mac Dinh Chi to congratulate him.”

Because of his different appearance, the Yuan Dynasty king and his courtiers looked down on him. The woodblock of the Complete Annals of Dai Viet, volume 6, engraved on pages 24 and 25, specifically recorded his conversation with the Yuan Dynasty officials: “One day, the Prime Minister and his courtiers invited him to sit with them in the palace. In the palace hung a thin embroidered painting of a golden sparrow perched on a bamboo branch. Mac Dinh Chi pretended to mistake the bird for a real one and quickly jumped to catch it. All the Yuan Dynasty courtiers laughed at him for being a country bumpkin. He immediately pulled the painting down and tore it to pieces. Everyone was surprised and asked why. He replied: "As far as I know, the old man only painted pictures of plum and sparrows, but never of bamboo and sparrows. Because bamboo is the symbol of the gentleman, and sparrows are the symbol of the petty people. Now this picture is embroidered with bamboo and sparrows, which means placing the petty people above the gentlemen. I am afraid that by doing so, the way of the petty people will be strong, and the way of the gentlemen will be weakened. Therefore, I ask the holy court to eliminate him." Everyone had to admire him as a talented and eloquent figure.

Another day, when he went to the Yuan Dynasty to meet a foreigner presenting a fan, the Yuan Dynasty king ordered him to write a poem. Mac Dinh Chi picked up the pen and finished writing immediately. The Yuan Dynasty emperor praised him after reading it. The original Chinese text was engraved in the wooden blocks of Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu and the book Ngu Che Viet Su Tong Vinh Tap, roughly translated as follows:

“Gold melts stone, heaven and earth are like furnaces, you are then the great scholar Yi Chu.

The north wind is fierce, the rain and snow are blinding, you are now a hungry Di Qi.

Oh, when used, we work, when not used, we curl up, just you and me are like that.

From then on, the Yuan Dynasty admired him even more and Mac Dinh Chi was considered the "Top Scholar of Two Countries".

Woodblock of the book Royal History of Vietnam, volume 4, engraved on 6 sides, recording the life and career of the first-ranked scholar Mac Dinh Chi

Integrity

The first-ranking mandarin Mac Dinh Chi was an official under three kings: Tran Anh Tong, Tran Minh Tong and Tran Hien Tong. No matter which king he was under, he was always trusted and treated very well by the king, especially under Tran Minh Tong. He was an honest man, had his own opinions, and lived a very frugal life. The woodblock of the book "Royal History of Vietnam", volume 4, engraved on 7 sides, recorded the event: "During the reign of Tran Minh Tong, he was even more loved and treated by the king. He was an honest mandarin and did not often follow others. He often lived a very simple life. King Tran Minh Tong found out about this, and at night he sent someone to put money in front of his house. The next day, he went to court and reported the matter to the king. On that occasion, the king also gave it to him. That is the legacy of his integrity and integrity as an official."

During the reign of King Tran Hien Tong, Mac Dinh Chi was promoted to the position of Nhap noi hanh khien Huu ty lang trung and then to Ta ty lang trung. His reputation will last forever and his descendants will also achieve great things. Admiring the outstanding talent of the first prize winner Mac Dinh Chi, King Tu Duc wrote a poem saying:

"The jade well detects the lotus of extraordinary appearance,

The ambassador of the Northern region.

Money will not be a slave

"Don't leave strange things to your children."

THOM QUANG