During the reign of Emperor Quang Trung, there was a strategist who, every time he went on an embassy mission, was admired and praised profusely by Emperor Qianlong and the Qing court officials.
He was Ngo Thi Nham (1746-1803), the eldest son of Ngo Thi Si, from To village, Thanh Oai district (now Ta Thanh Oai commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi ).
In 1775, Ngo Thi Nham passed the doctoral examination and served as an official in the Le-Trinh dynasty, holding the position of Ho Khoa Cap Su Trung, overseeing tax and expenditure matters.
In 1786, when the Tay Son forces marched north to suppress the Trinh, Ngo Thi Nham was introduced to Nguyen Hue. He was highly valued, appointed Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Public Works, and granted the title of Tinh Phai Marquis. He and Ngo Van So remained in Thang Long to stabilize the situation in the North. From then on, Ngo Thi Nham truly developed his talents and contributed to the cause of defending the country.
Ngo Thi Nham - a brilliant strategist and outstanding diplomat who earned the admiration of Emperor Qianlong. (Illustrative image)
At that time, upon hearing that the Qing Dynasty was sending 290,000 troops to invade our country, Ngo Thi Nham proactively proposed withdrawing troops from Thang Long to Thanh Hoa (including Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa), establishing a defensive line at Tam Diep - Bien Son, and waiting for Nguyen Hue to coordinate a counterattack. He also wrote the royal decree of enthroning Nguyen Hue (King Quang Trung) and sent it to Phu Xuan.
As predicted by Ngo Thi Nham, King Quang Trung stopped at Tam Diep, using it as the starting point for his attack to annihilate the Qing army at Ngoc Hoi - Dong Da. Evaluating Ngo Thi Nham's contributions, King Quang Trung told his generals: " You are all skilled warriors, naturally ready to fight when encountering the enemy, but you lack the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. A few months ago, I had to leave Ngo Thi Nham behind to work with you, precisely to prepare for that."
Not only in the military field, Ngo Thi Nham also made significant contributions to the diplomatic success of the Tay Son dynasty. A renowned literary figure of the time, he personally drafted most of the diplomatic correspondence between Vietnam and the Qing dynasty.
Ngo Thi Nham's diplomatic documents clearly demonstrate the principles of territorial sovereignty and national honor, along with flexible and firm policies. Furthermore, Ngo Thi Nham made two diplomatic missions to the Qing dynasty on very important occasions, around 1790 and 1792.
According to the book "The Tay Son Dynasty," immediately after driving out the invading Qing army, King Quang Trung remarked: "A country ten times larger than ours, a single defeat would be humiliating and would compel revenge. At that time, only someone skillful in commanding troops could extinguish the flames of war. Besides Ngo Thi Nham, no one else could do it."
Then the king said to Ngo Thi Nham: "War between two countries only brings suffering to the people. If we can use skillful words to avoid war, it is up to you to lead this endeavor."
Acting on the king's orders, Ngo Thi Nham devoted himself wholeheartedly to this great mission. In just about a year, he made three trips to the Nam Quan Pass, drafting dozens of letters and official documents with both firm and flexible language, transforming the armed conflict between the Tay Son and Qing dynasties into a friendly diplomatic relationship.
According to historical records, on both occasions when he went on diplomatic missions to China, Ngo Thi Nham, with his outstanding diplomatic skills, earned the respect and admiration of Emperor Qianlong and the Qing court officials, who praised him highly and rewarded him with many valuable items.
Ngo Thi Nham possessed all the qualities of a brilliant intellectual, making significant contributions in all fields: politics, military, diplomacy, philosophy, and literature. He also left behind a vast literary legacy comprising over 600 poems and 15 other works.
Libra
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/nha-ngoai-giao-tai-gioi-bac-nhat-su-viet-hoang-de-trung-hoa-cung-phai-ne-phuc-ar920628.html
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