The General decided to resign because he did not pass the exam, but after listening to his teacher's advice, he became a general and became a general at the age of 50.
The person mentioned is Vu Tuan Chieu (1425-?), also known as Vu Tuan Thieu, from Nhat Tan ward, Tay Ho district, Hanoi today. He passed the royal examination under King Le Thanh Tong, in the At Mui examination (1475).
According to the book Vietnamese History: Interesting Surprises, Vu Tuan Chieu lost his father at a young age. Due to the difficult life, Vu Tuan Chieu's mother had to take him to her maternal home in the suburbs of Thang Long to live. A few years later, his mother passed away, and Vu Tuan Chieu returned to his paternal home.
Here, he married a girl named Nguyen Thi Chia. Being a virtuous person, Mrs. Chia did not mind the hardships, worked hard in the fields, weaving and spinning silk, taking care of her old father and sending her husband to school. However, Vu Tuan Chieu was not very good at studying.
Vu Tuan Chieu passed the royal examination under King Le Thanh Tong in the year of At Mui (1475). (Illustration)
After more than 10 years of studying, his studies still did not progress. One time, when Mrs. Chia was carrying rice for her husband, the teacher called the wife back to send her husband back. The teacher said: "Chieu is old and has not progressed in his studies. Now I will let him go home to help with housework and farming to reduce his hardship."
After much pleading, but seeing that the teacher did not change his mind, the couple packed their clothes and books and went home. When they reached the village entrance, they stopped by a stone bridge across a small river to rest. Seeing that the stone pillar at the foot of the bridge was worn away, Vu Tuan Chieu was surprised and asked his wife.
Mrs. Chia said: "The water flowing for a long time has worn away the stone pillars of the bridge. You see, the stone pillars are hard, the water is soft, but over the years it keeps flowing for a long time, causing the stone to wear away. Therefore, if you have the will, perseverance, and patience to do anything, you will succeed."
Hearing his wife's words, Vu Tuan Chieu suddenly came to his senses. He immediately told his wife to return home, while he brought his books and clothes back to the teacher's house to continue his studies.
Seeing his student return, the teacher was surprised and asked the reason. Vu Tuan Chieu replied: "Water wears away stone, sir, studying is the same, if you have the will to study, you will definitely improve. Now I return to school determined to study hard, hoping that one day my name will be on the golden board, first to not let down my teacher's teachings, then to repay my wife's kindness and also to satisfy my ambition".
Although he heard his student speak with great enthusiasm, the teacher still did not believe it. Taking advantage of the windy weather and occasional rain, the teacher spontaneously gave a couplet and said that if he could match it, he would let him stay and continue studying: "Sparse rain falls in Ha Vu village" . After thinking for a moment, Vu Tuan Chieu replied: "Rumbling thunder shakes Xuan Loi earth".
The correct couplet made the teacher very satisfied, so he allowed him to stay and continue studying. From then on, Vu Tuan Chieu constantly tried hard, devoted himself to studying, and gradually his academic performance improved significantly.
To help her husband with his studies, Mrs. Chia took care of the children, farmed the fields, and regularly brought rice for her husband's studies. When Vu Tuan Chieu was nearly 50 years old, she passed away.
After his wife passed away, Vu Tuan Chieu left his hometown once again, bringing his children back to his mother's hometown to facilitate their studies and prepare for the exams. In the At Mui exam (1475), he passed the imperial examination as the top scholar. At that time, he was nearly 50 years old, becoming one of the three oldest top scholars when he passed, along with Nguyen Duc Luong (passed in 1514) and Nguyen Xuan Chinh (passed in 1637), both at the age of 50.
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Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ai-do-trang-nguyen-o-tuoi-50-tuoi-nho-nghe-loi-vo-ar922119.html
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