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The thrilling story of Imperial Doctor Le Quang Bi being detained in China for 18 years

LINH HOANG December 16, 2024 11:00

As a famous Confucian scholar and talented envoy under the Mac Dynasty, Royal Doctor Le Quang Bi left his name in history with his 18-year diplomatic mission to China.

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Hoang Giap Le Quang Bi is one of 36 doctors in Mo Trach village, Tan Hong commune (Binh Giang).

Scholarly lineage

According to historical records, Le Quang Bi was born in 1505 (some documents say he was born in 1504), the year of his death is unknown, his title is Hoi Trai, his title is To Xuyen Marquis, from Mo Trach village, Duong An district, now Mo Trach village, Tan Hong commune (Binh Giang, Hai Duong).

He was the son of the first-ranked mandarin Le Nai, who passed the At Suu exam, the first year of the Doan Khanh era (1505) under King Le Uy Muc. His paternal uncle was the first-ranked mandarin Le Tu and he was the great-grandson of the loyal mandarin Le Canh Tuan under the Tran dynasty.

The genealogy of the Le family in Mo Trach village records that their ancestor was Le Huu Huy, Thuan Loc district, Ai Chau (Thanh Hoa). His son Le Nhu Du married a woman from Mo Trach village and then moved to his wife's hometown. Le Nhu Du gave birth to Le Canh Tuan, who passed the Thai Hoc Sinh exam in Tan Dau year (1381) under the Tran Phe De dynasty.

Later, the descendants of the family became more and more numerous, forming many branches and branches. Among them, there were many people who were highly educated, knowledgeable, and successful in the imperial examinations and officialdom.

Born into a family with a tradition of mandarin examinations, Le Quang Bi was known as an intelligent and studious person from a young age. Not only was he well-versed in the scriptures, he was also imbued with morality and etiquette. In 1526, during the reign of King Le Cung Hoang, he passed the Second Class Doctorate Examination (called Hoang Giap).

A year after Le Quang Bi passed the exam, the Le dynasty collapsed and the Mac dynasty took power. He did not live in seclusion but instead worked for the Mac dynasty. Le Quang Bi was named among the 56 former servants of the early Le dynasty who were highly regarded and given titles by the Mac dynasty in February of the year Mau Ty (1528).

As an official under the Mac Dynasty, Le Quang Bi devoted himself to serving the court, was trusted by the king, and was assigned many important positions. He held the positions of Han Lam Vien Hieu Ly, Hien Sat Su Son Tay, Thua Ty Tham Chinh Dao Tuyen Quang, Ngu Su Dai Thiem Do Ngu Su, Ta Thi Lang Bo Lai, and was given the title Doan Truc Tu.

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The stele area at Mo Trach temple, where the name of envoy Le Quang Bi is kept and honored.

In the year of Mau Than (1548) under the reign of King Mac Phuc Nguyen, Le Quang Bi was sent as an envoy to the Ming Dynasty (China) to pay annual tribute. In the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China under the monarchy, the mission of the envoy was very important. They had to be loyal, brave, intelligent, and flexible. Le Quang Bi was assigned the mission to show the court's trust in his personality and intelligence.

"Su Wu of the South"

When Le Quang Bi arrived in Nanning, the Ming army suspected him of being a fake envoy and detained him for investigation. At that time, Dai Viet was in constant war, Mac Phuc Nguyen had not sent tribute for many years so there was no response. In the year Quy Dau (1563), Le Quang Bi was sent to Beijing and continued to be detained there. His diplomatic mission lasted 18 years.

During his time as an ambassador, Le Quang Bi wrote a collection of poems called "Tu huong van luc" (Reminiscent of the homeland) which included historical poems expressing his nostalgia for his homeland and praising famous people, mainly from his hometown of Mo Trach. While imprisoned in Nanning, he taught. According to legend, among his disciples in China was Dang Hong Chan, who passed the doctoral exam. Later, this student himself reported to the Ming emperor about Le Quang Bi's circumstances and virtues, asking the Ming emperor to allow his teacher to return to his homeland.

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The stele recording the merits of the Royal Doctor Le Quang Bi at the Le family's ancestral temple in Tan Hong commune (Binh Giang)

Although imprisoned in a foreign land, Le Quang Bi always maintained his integrity and reputation, not bringing shame to the Dai Viet nation. He and other loyal Confucian scholars left their mark on the Mac dynasty during their years of ruling the country.

The incident of Le Quang Bi going on a mission to the Ming Dynasty was no different from that of Su Wu of the Han Dynasty. Su Wu was ordered by the Han Dynasty to go on a mission to the Huns and was also detained for 19 years, forced to herd goats. After the Han Dynasty allowed Wang Zhaojun to marry the Hun King, Su Wu was allowed to return to Han land. Su Wu's example of loyalty to the Han Dynasty is very famous in Chinese history. Therefore, people called Le Quang Bi "Duke Su" to acknowledge his achievements and praise his virtues.

In January of the year Binh Dan (1566), Le Quang Bi was returned to his country after many years of being detained in China. King Mac Mau Hop sent the Minister of Justice and the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Palace, Giap Hai, and the Secretary of the Eastern Palace, Pham Duy Quyet, to the border of Lang Son to welcome the envoy Le Quang Bi. When he left, his hair was still green, but when he returned, his hair was already gray.

Upon returning to the country, King Mac Mau Hop promoted Le Quang Bi to the position of Minister of Personnel and bestowed upon him the title of To Quan Cong, comparing him to the loyal minister To Vu of the Han Dynasty. According to legend, the Nom story To Cong Phung Su was written by a contemporary to praise his integrity.

The Le family temple in Mo Trach village has a stele in memory of Le Quang Bi, compiled by the first-class scholar Do Uong in the year Mau Dan (1578). On the stele is a poem praising Le Quang Bi's merit: "The bright star of the Southern sky/ How great is To Cong/ Heaven and earth are clearly loyal and eternal".

Currently, Le Quang Bi's name is recorded at the stele in the temple of Mo Trach village. "The Le family in Mo Trach village has 5 people who passed the doctoral exam, but the achievements, merits and virtues of Mr. Le Quang Bi are remembered the most by later generations. Following the example of the Royal Doctor, the next generation always strives to study hard to preserve the family's tradition of studiousness", said Mr. Le Duy Bat (78 years old), the 21st generation descendant of the Royal Doctor Le Quang Bi.

LINH HOANG
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The thrilling story of Imperial Doctor Le Quang Bi being detained in China for 18 years