In general, regarding Southern literature in the dawn of the National Language, there are still many authors that studies have overlooked or not thoroughly mentioned; or even though they are known, their works are not yet fully understood. Among these, I would like to mention the poet Nguyen Lien Phong, whose books Dieu Co Ha Kim Thi Tap and Nam Ky Phong Tuc Nhan Vat Dien Ca have recently been reprinted, contributing to helping us understand more about the customs, history, and characters of the ancient South.
Queen Mother Tu Du
However, in the unpublished manuscript of To Man painting the pavilion of Mr. Vuong Hong Sen, there is also a mention of another work by Mr. Nguyen Lien Phong, called Tu Du Hoang Thai Hau , published in 1913. Based on this book, Mr. Sen recounted the life of Mrs. Tu Du, which we find interesting details. Accordingly, in the past, in Go Cong - the birthplace of Mrs. Tu Du, there was a parallel sentence circulated:
The Legend of Tears
Bamboo and blessing mechanism
(Sweet water brings good luck)
Turtle hill, blessed land).
This sentence applies to the event that took place in Go Cong in 1810, on the 19th day of the 5th lunar month, when the wife of Duc Quoc Cong Pham Dang Hung gave birth to a daughter, named Pham Thi Hang, who later became Queen Mother Tu Du, the wife of King Thieu Tri, mother of King Tu Duc, who died in 1902, during the reign of King Thanh Thai, at the age of 92. Lady Tu Du was the second person from the South to become queen under the Nguyen Dynasty: before that was Lady Ho Thi Hoa - wife of King Minh Mang; then Queen Nam Phuong - wife of King Bao Dai.
When Lady Tu Du was 12 years old, her mother fell ill. She took care of her mother day and night, regardless of the hardship. When her mother passed away, she cried and cried endlessly. Her good reputation spread far and wide. In the capital, Queen Thuan Thien Cao - also known as Tran Thi Dang, wife of King Gia Long and mother of King Minh Mang - also heard of her.
One day, Empress Cao summoned Minister of Rites Pham Dang Hung to court and said: "I have heard good rumors about your daughter. I allow you to bring her to the palace for me to see."
At that time, in 1824, the daughter of Kinh Mon district duke Nguyen Van Nhan, Lenh Phi, was also called to the palace. Both of these beauties had the chance to be chosen by the king to later become the "woman" for the eldest prince Mien Tong. Between the two beauties, both talented and virtuous, who would King Minh Mang choose and how? One day, King Minh Mang gave each of them a silk dress with a collar embroidered with golden flowers. When they were about to leave, Queen Cao gave each of them a golden button, one engraved with a phoenix, the other with a flower branch, but the envelope was sealed and she prayed to heaven: "Whoever is engraved with a phoenix will have a child first."
Then she sent a female officer to give them to each person, telling them to choose one envelope, but not to open it, just to put it forward as is. She let Lenh Phi take it first, when she opened the package, she got a chrysanthemum with a flower; and she received a chrysanthemum with a phoenix. Thanks to that, she became the "sleeping partner" of the eldest prince, Mien Tong. In 1841, King Minh Mang passed away, Mien Tong ascended the throne, taking the reign name Thieu Tri.
Mr. Sen's posthumous work commented: "King Thieu Tri was a good king, unfortunately he did not live long, he only held the throne for seven years. He was gentle but hot-tempered. Foreign historians said he was very fond of porcelain made in Western style, he liked hexagonal and octagonal objects, pen holders in the style of French soap boxes (plates with octagonal legs), and tobacco pipes with nine dragons; when the Western soldiers destroyed Thuan An, he was furious and ordered the destruction of Western-style porcelain, taking his anger out on the wrong person, wasting precious inanimate objects".
This interesting detail more or less reflects the mentality of the "loyal and patriotic" Vietnamese people at that time. As we know, later, when the South fell into the hands of the French colonialists, it is said that Mr. Do Chieu hated the enemy so much that he did not use French soap but only used the traditional folk way of using ash water to wash clothes, and did not walk on the asphalt roads made by the French...
EMPEROR TU DU 'S REPUTATION LEAVES FOR POSTERIORITIES
Scholar Vuong Hong Sen continued writing: "Regarding the story of Lady Tu Du, I would like to say that: King Thieu Tri had a habit of reading history books. There were nights when he read until midnight without stopping. She was still waiting by the king's side. Sometimes, she had to wait until the rooster crowed in the morning before she could have dinner... She was intelligent, quick-witted, and had a good memory (cuong ky). She knew by heart all the old stories, ancient stories, and ancient poems. (King Tu Duc was a good writer, and the mandarins who passed down the exams were all afraid of the king's talent, perhaps thanks to her longevity in reading)".
Let me tell you a detail on the occasion of King Tu Duc's 50th birthday: "Queen Tu Du ordered a royal banquet, in which there was a dish of raw vegetables and fish sauce, she ordered to give the king a brocade and a pearl". How interesting is the dish of "raw vegetables and fish sauce" on the table of a grand banquet of delicious food. That is why Mr. Sen "Please quote her "temptation": "The food my mother taught me to cook is pure, each dish is hot and fragrant, but I am afraid that my weak children will not like it. Raw vegetables and fish sauce, my mother thinks is a convenience, people find it fragrant and pleasant, fortunately when the strange person comes to the palace with a lot of rice". This detail proves that Mrs. Tu Du still has not forgotten the familiar dish, suitable for the taste of the migrants from Ngu Quang region when they came to reclaim land and establish settlements in the South.
Evaluating Lady Tu Du, scholar Vuong Hong Sen commented: "Russia has Queen Catherine II la Grande de Russie (1729 - 1796), England has Queen Elisabeth Ière (1533 - 1603), Qing Dynasty China has Empress Dowager Tu Hi, all have scandals but more scandals than fame, our country has Empress Dowager Tu Du, whose reputation has been passed down to posterity, fame but no scandal, truly rare and strange".
One of the "rare" things for our descendants is that she always reminded us: "Luxury is the cause of poverty, thrift is the source of blessings". This teaching is always timely and always relevant.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has a maternity hospital that is honored to be named after Tu Du Queen Mother.
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