(QBĐT) - From one part of the proverb "Trung Binh Tu Thuong Thu" urged me to collect documents and learn about the famous person Pham Xung, who together with Thuong Thu Huynh Con made his hometown Trung Binh famous.
For a long time, the people of Quang Binh have been reciting the saying "Van La song Hiep bien, Trung Binh tu thuong thu". That is, Van La village has two Hiep bien Dai hoc si, he and his grandson Hoang Kim Xan and Hoang Vi. On the other side of Nhat Le river, Trung Binh village, there are Mr. Pham Xung and Mr. Huynh Con, ministers of two ministries but concurrently holding four ministries, so people call them tu thuong thu. Following the instructions of the descendants of the Pham family in Trung Binh village, Bao Ninh commune (Dong Hoi city), I went to the house of Mr. Pham Ba Diep (in Duc Giang village, Duc Ninh commune, Dong Hoi city), the 11th generation of the Pham family, to learn about the background and career of the famous person Pham Xung.
In 1631, during the reign of Lord Sai Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, Loc Khe Marquis Dao Duy Tu began to build Dinh Bac citadel (Luy Thay). From Cua Viet ( Quang Tri ), Mr. Pham Luy and the entourage of Lord Sai marched to Duc Pho village to participate in the construction of Luy Thay. Mr. Pham Luy chose the land on the left bank of Cheo Giang, later called Trung Binh village of Duc Pho village, where fresh and salt water flowed together when the tide rose and fell to settle down for convenient travel. Seeing that Duc Pho was a peaceful land, with convenient water and land transportation, and fertile land, Mr. Pham Luy decided to stay with his descendants to settle down permanently in this land and became the ancestor of the Pham family.
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By the fourth generation, around 1678, the population was growing, Duc Pho land was narrow and crowded. Realizing that Hoang Sa citadel, now Bao Ninh commune, was a convenient place for living and developing, the second branch of the first and second branches of the Pham family moved to settle down. From then on, the Pham family, together with the Hoang, Lai, Dao families, etc., joined hands to build Trung Binh village to become more and more prosperous until now. The first branch of the first branch of the Pham family still settled in Duc Pho village, until Pham Xung was the 7th generation.
Pham Xung's original name was Pham Huu Thanh, and he changed his name later. In the 20th year of Tu Duc (1867), he passed the Huong exam at the Dinh Mao examination at the Thua Thien examination school while working as Tham tri of the Ministry of Public Works. In May of the first year of Kien Phuc (1884), while holding the position of Bo Chinh of Binh Thuan, he was summoned to the capital Hue to pay homage to the great funeral at Hoa Kham palace, and then was appointed to the position of Thi Lang of the Ministry of Personnel. In March of the first year of Dong Khanh (1886), he was appointed to a new position : "The Thi Lang of the Ministry of Personnel, Pham Xung, was appointed to the position of Tan Ly; the Chief of the Guard and the Chief of the Vanguard, Tran Van Cu, was appointed to the position of Admiral, both went to Quang Binh to listen to the great ministers' discussions and assignments. When leaving, the king gave him top-grade ginseng (Xung 30 taels, Van Cu 20 taels) to help with medicine on the road. He told them to help with their advice, with the aim of achieving success soon" (1). After four months of not achieving victory or making any achievements in suppressing the rebellion, he was demoted one rank and kept in office in the capital. In January of the second year of Dong Khanh (1887), he was appointed to a new position , "Minister of the Cabinet, Pham Xung, promoted to Acting Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel" (2).
Thanks to his talent, intelligence and virtue, he was always highly regarded by the Nguyen Dynasty emperors and promoted to important positions in the court apparatus. In 1889, after ascending the throne, King Thanh Thai edited and completed the book Dai Nam Hoi Dien Su Le. This is a set of laws regulating the regulations for the six ministries (Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Military, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Public Works). This was a complicated and difficult task. While holding the position of Tham Tri of the Ministry of Public Works, Pham Xung was approved by King Thanh Thai to hold the position of Dong Ly in charge of this important work. By March of the 7th year of Thanh Thai (1895), the manuscript was completed. In the 12th year of Thanh Thai (1900), it was time to edit the Ngoc Diep and Ton Pha, that is, the royal family tree.
According to the previous selection, Associate Grand Scholar Nguyen Thuat was appointed as the Chief of the Department of Jade Diep, and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Finance Ton That Dam was appointed as the Deputy Chief. Later, when Associate Grand Scholar Nguyen Thuat retired, the court assigned him the important position of Chief of the Department of Jade Diep to succeed and manage the work. In the 14th year of Thanh Thai (1902), the Jade genealogy was completed, and he and other officials were greatly rewarded. "The rewards for the officials who respectfully edited the Jade Diep were more or less different (Chief Pham Xung, Deputy Chief Hong Nhung each received a second-class gold plaque)" (3).
Thanks to his contributions to the government, he was trusted and appointed to important positions in the court. In the 16th year of Thanh Thai (1904), while holding the position of Minister of Public Works, he was transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel. After only one year, in the 17th year of Thanh Thai (1905), he was appointed to another official position : "An edict was issued to the Minister of Public Works, the Grand Minister of the Privy Council, Pham Xung, who was also the Chief of the Seal of the Ministry of War. The Minister of Public Works, the Grand Minister of the Privy Council, Huynh Con, who was also the Chief of the Seal of the Ministry of Justice" (4).
Perhaps this is a rare event and a source of pride not only for Trung Binh village but also for the whole Quang Binh province. Because at the same time, both of our fellow countrymen held the position of Minister. One held the position of Minister of Public Works and the Ministry of War, the other held the position of Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Justice. Both of them were also appointed to the Privy Council. It was an important and close body of the king, specializing in discussing the affairs of the court and important issues of the country.
In March of the 18th year of Thanh Thai (1906), before going on a royal tour to the North, while holding the position of Minister of Public Works, he was appointed to the position of Privy Council Grand Minister and concurrently in charge of the Ministry of War. In May of the same year, from Minister of Public Works, he officially transferred to the position of Minister of War and continued to participate in the Privy Council. In May of the 19th year of Thanh Thai (1907), after more than 1 year as Minister of War, he retired . "Approval was given to Minister of War to join Privy Council Grand Minister Pham Xung as retired scholar" (5).
Not long after returning to his hometown, he fell seriously ill. In February of the second year of Duy Tan (1908), he passed away, causing grief from the king, officials, and villagers. “The assistant university scholar Pham Xung died. Xung was a former mandarin of the Tu Duc dynasty, serving as an official throughout the country, later serving as Khu phu. His achievements were clear, he asked to retire, but not long after, he fell ill and died. He was granted a memorial service as usual” (6).
He was buried by his descendants in the area behind the current Duc Ninh Commune Martyrs' Cemetery. Later, his descendants moved his grave to the family cemetery at Da Bac Cemetery (Dong Son, Dong Hoi City). Following the guidance of Mr. Pham Ba Diep, I found his resting place. On the tombstone was still a stone stele bearing the marks of time. With great difficulty, we were able to clearly highlight the lines on the tombstone. "Hoang trieu Vinh loc dai phu Tuong cong Tru My Trung Pham Le Giang chi mo bi. Tue thu Tan Hoi xuan cung tao. Eldest daughter Pham Thi Can khoc chi" . Meaning: Tombstone of Pham Le Giang, Tru My Trung, Vinh loc dai phu Tuong cong of the Royal Dynasty. Respectfully erected in the spring of Tan Hoi year (1911). Eldest daughter Pham Thi Can cried and wrote.
With his merits and contributions in the history of building his homeland and country, Pham Xung himself contributed to making famous the parallel sentences in the Pham family temple, Trung Binh village, which his ancestors had built:
"The village of Trung culture is in harmony with heaven and earth
"The Pham family is virtuous, talented, beautiful and fragrant"
Meaning: Trung Binh village, Duc Pho village in the past, Trung Binh village, Bao Ninh commune later was endowed by heaven and earth with a rare cultural tradition. The reputation of morality and talent of the descendants of the Pham family has been long-standing.
NHAT LINH
(1), (2). National History Institute of Nguyen Dynasty, Dai Nam Thuc Luc, volume 9, Hanoi Publishing House, Hanoi, 2022, p.244, p.305.
(3), (4), (5), (6). National History Institute of Nguyen Dynasty, Dai Nam Thuc Luc Chinh Bien, 6th Period, Appendix, Culture and Literature Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, 2012, p.428, p.472, p.522, p.544.
Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202410/danh-nhan-pham-xung-2221345/
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