Vo Dinh Tu alone was capable of beating thousands of people. Mrs. Bui Thi Xuan gave Vo Dinh Tu a red flag embroidered with four golden words "Iron Con General"...
Vo Dinh Tu, from Phu Phong village, Tuy Vien district. Born into a wealthy family, he was generous, honest, and brave. Since he was young, his family brought a teacher home to teach Vo Dinh Tu both literature and martial arts. When he was 14 years old, a monk with an ugly face and ragged clothes suddenly appeared in the village. Whenever the children in the village saw the monk, they would come and tease him. Despite the children's cheers and annoying behavior, the monk still sat cross-legged in meditation, with his eyes closed. After getting bored of teasing him and seeing no reaction, they left together.
Vo Dinh Tu, on the other hand, was very respectful and affectionate towards the monk. When the monk came, Tu would bring food, water, or cakes to offer. The monk happily accepted. However, the two did not say a word to each other. One day, there was a heavy rain and strong wind, and no one dared to go out. It rained heavily all day. At night, the rain stopped and the wind stopped, but no one in the house could see Tu anywhere, and the monk outside the alley was also nowhere to be seen.
"The magician" Vo Dinh Tu. Photo: IM.
The family sent people everywhere, day after day, but still could not find any trace of him. The family was convinced that Tu had been kidnapped by the monk. They could only light incense and pray to God and Buddha to bless Tu. Ten years later, Tu returned, and by then he had become a muscular young man, as strong as a tiger, and still retained his kind and simple nature. At first glance, no one would have guessed that he was a martial arts expert.
Tu stayed home, closed the door, read books, and did not socialize with anyone, except Vo Van Dung. The two were close friends. When they met, in addition to discussing martial arts, they often discussed current events. Although he was rich and had great martial arts skills, Tu still did not want to get married. Many times, he would stay home and socialize for months before returning.
In terms of martial arts, Tu was proficient in all types: stick, sword, spear, fist... In terms of fist, he focused on hard fist, which was very suitable for Tu's body and strength. In addition to horseback riding and archery, Tu was famous for using iron sticks. When dancing with the stick in the rain, Tu's body did not get wet at all. Tu alone was capable of fighting thousands of people. Mrs. Bui Thi Xuan gave Vo Dinh Tu a red flag embroidered with four golden words "Iron stick general".
When Vo Van Dung returned to Tay Son, Dung introduced Tu to the Tay Son king. The king personally rode a horse to visit his house and invited him to cooperate. In the Tay Son camp, Tu was very fond of Nguyen Hue, who loved him like a brother. Every day, they discussed martial arts and military strategy. When the Tay Son uprising, Vo Dinh Tu was appointed to the position of Grand Commander, along with Bui Thi Xuan, to manage the Tay Son region and defend the camp.
In 1778, Nguyen Nhac proclaimed himself emperor and appointed Vo Dinh Tu as Thai Uy. When King Quang Trung went to Thuan Hoa, he brought Tu with him. At that time, Bui Dac Tuyen was just a Minister of Rites, but because he was the younger brother of Queen Bui, he was allowed to enter the palace freely. Tuyen often played many games to please Crown Prince Nguyen Quang Toan. Knowing that Vo Dinh Tu was talented at high jumping, Tuyen urged Quang Toan to ask Tu to perform for him to see.
Another day, Vo Dinh Tu and Dang Xuan Phong went to the palace to pay their respects to King Quang Trung. Knowing that they were two generals famous for their excellent stick fighting skills, Bui Dac Tuyen immediately found a way to entertain the crown prince. Tuyen, as a fellow countryman, invited Vo and Dang to his private house for a drink. The crown prince was also invited. The banquet was held in the afternoon. After the banquet, the crown prince asked to see the two high-ranking officials fight with sticks.
After this stick fight, public opinion was in an uproar. Some praised the two meritorious officials for their extraordinary talent, worthy of the title "The Two Western Gods' Sticks". Others criticized the two great officials for not respecting themselves. The gossip reached the ears of King Quang Trung. The king immediately reprimanded the crown prince and the two great officials Vo and Dang, and then forbade Bui Dac Tuyen from performing such entertainments that would disgrace the dignity of the great officials.
Comment:
According to the documents that are still in circulation, Vo Dinh Tu was one of the seven tiger generals of Nguyen Hue. And when the Tay Son dynasty was established, Nguyen Hue became king, Vo Dinh Tu became one of the founding heroes who followed the Tay Son dynasty since their childhood. However, in order to please Crown Prince Quang Toan, who was just a child at that time, Bui Dac Tuyen asked Vo Dinh Tu to perform martial arts to entertain. Perhaps because the army was a group of ministers and Crown Prince Toan would later be the future king, Vo Dinh Tu did not dare to disobey the order. It is interesting that, as flatterers and treacherous ministers, they will not hesitate to use any means to please their masters, even when they know that doing so can humiliate and even cause the death of their colleagues, but they still do it.
Unfortunately, King Quang Trung at that time was not strict in teaching the crown prince and his courtiers, especially those who were royal relatives and national relatives like Bui Dac Tuyen. This mistake led to Bui Dac Tuyen's abuse of power and was also the main reason for the Tay Son dynasty's rapid demise. Although we know that this was too high a price for the Tay Son dynasty, it was a useful lesson for future generations in using people.
NV - Binh Phuoc Newspaper
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