Mac Thien Tu's "mysterious" younger sister
In addition to his son Mac Thien Tu, Mac Cuu also had a daughter. Vietnamese historical documents do not record her name. Chinese researchers such as Trinh Thuy Minh and Tran Kinh Hoa called her Mac Kim Dinh, but the origin of this name remains a mystery. Trinh Thuy Minh only said that this name was based on "traditional tradition". The Te Tu Bien recorded that "Ba Co Lao Mac Thi Xuan" was "the younger sister of Tien Cong", born on December 18, and died on June 4.
Tomb of Lady Thanh Duc in Binh San
Photo: Author's documents
Trinh Hoai Duc recorded that she married Dinh Sach Marquis Tran Dai Dinh (son of Tran Thuong Xuyen) in Tran Bien, and had a son, Cai Doi Suu Tai Marquis Tran Dai Luc. But this statement has many problems. First, Mac Thi Xuan must have been born after Mac Thien Tu, who was born around 1718, and Tran Dai Dinh died in 1732. At this time, she was only 14 years old and already married and had children, which is quite hard to believe. Second, the genealogy of Tran Thuong Xuyen in Dien Dau (China) said that Tran Thuong Xuyen had no son. After Tran Thuong Xuyen died, the position was transferred to his cousin Thanh Am. Thanh Luong Pagoda (Bien Hoa) still worships Tran Thanh Am's memorial tablet along with Tran Thuong Xuyen's memorial tablet. This further proves that the record of the Tran family genealogy in Dien Dau is well-founded. Third, the Mac family documents in Ha Tien recorded that Mac Thi Xuan's husband was someone else. The memorial book records the death anniversary of Ong Chuong Thuy Hang 恒 with the note "he is the brother-in-law of Tien Cong". The death anniversary is on the 17th day of the 6th lunar month.
Currently in Binh San there is the tomb of Long Ho Dai Tuong Quan Hoan Vu Hau Tran Cong and the tomb of his wife Thanh Duc Thai Phu Nhan Mac Thi. When Tran Thiem Trung wrote the tombstone in Binh San, his tomb was read as Hang Vu Hau. Perhaps that is the Chuong Thuy Hang mentioned in Te Tu Bien. In Tran Thiem Trung's posthumous file, there is a list of relics in the Ha Tien area. It shows that local people in the 60s of the 20th century considered Hang Vu Hau's tomb to be the tomb of Tran Thuong Xuyen. That assessment is probably not correct. But it shows that local people also believe that this tomb is related to the Tran family in Tran Bien. The tomb of Hoan Vu Hau Tran Cong and Thanh Duc Thai Phu Nhan Mac Thi are among the few well-preserved tombs in Binh San.
What is worth mentioning here is that among her two sons, there was no one named Dai Luc, but only two sons named Thieu Ho and Thieu Phach. Researcher Tran Kinh Hoa believes that Thanh Duc Thai Phu Nhan is Mac Thi Long - the eldest daughter of Mac Thien Tu. But he did not provide any data for that statement. On the contrary, Te Tu Bien recorded Mac Thien Tu's first son-in-law as Ong Ngu Nhung Ky. That was probably Ky Duong Marquis Tu Cong whose tomb was in Binh San. In other words, Mac Thi Long's husband's family name was Tu, not Tran. Obviously, Tran Kinh Hoa's hypothesis about the origin of Long Ho Dai Tuong Quan and Thanh Duc Thai Phu Nhan is not trustworthy.
We can cautiously conclude that the records of Te Tu Bien as well as the genealogical documents of the Mac and Tran families require a re-evaluation of Trinh Hoai Duc's statement about Mac Thi Xuan marrying Tran Dai Dinh. Trinh Hoai Duc is the only source that said so. The later documents are merely copies of his words.
Copy of the petition of Guerrilla Trinh Thuy
Photo: Author's documents
Marquis Tran and the tomb of Marquis Co Tri in Binh San
Vu The Dinh's Mac family genealogy mentioned a son of Mac Thi Xuan, Tran Hau. He commanded the army to conquer Siam, which was then under the rule of King Taksin. Trinh Hoai Duc recorded the same and clearly stated that it was Suu Tai Hau Tran Dai Luc (son of Tran Dai Dinh).
The tablet of Suu Tai Marquis is also worshiped at Thanh Luong Pagoda (Bien Hoa). Its design is completely different from the tablets of Tran Thuong Xuyen and Tran Thanh Am. We have not found the tomb of Suu Tai Marquis, but in Ha Tien there is the tomb of Co Tri Marquis Tran Cong. Researcher Tran Kinh Hoa believes that Co Tri Marquis is Tran Marquis - son of Mrs. Mac Kim Dinh. However, a report by the Qing Dynasty's Trinh Thuy Guerrilla who was present in Ha Tien during the campaign against Siam clearly stated: at first Mac Thien Tu sent Tran Lang 陳郎 (a man with the surname Tran) to attack Dong Trai (Thung Yai), then sent Tran Co to reinforce.
So Tran Lang is probably Tran Hou, and Tran Co is the owner of Co Tri Hou's tomb in Binh San. (to be continued)
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hau-due-mac-cuu-qua-nhung-tu-lieu-moi-phat-hien-ve-em-gai-cua-mac-thien-tu-185250228210350555.htm
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