The goddess Ngo in Hue

From a woman in the garrison who had military achievements.

Historical records state that in July of the year Nhâm Thân (1572), the Mạc army launched a major attack on the Ái Tử administrative center of Đoan Quận công Nguyễn Hoàng. This means that, after 14 years in Thuận Hóa (Mậu Ngọ - 1558), the governor still faced many difficulties from all sides and had not yet achieved a convincing victory to stabilize the military situation after the spectacular escape thanks to the wife of Trà Quận công in the year Tân Mùi (1571). At this time, he still desperately wanted to achieve his first victory to encourage his generals and soldiers.

General Mạc Lập Bạo, guided by a man from Bắc Bố Chính district, led 60 warships across the sea to attack and plunder, setting up camp south of Hồ Xá commune. When the enemy was strong, the governor led his troops to defend the area, stationed at the Ái Tử River. One night, he suddenly heard a mournful cry coming from the river. Surprised, Duke Đoan prayed, "If the river spirit is powerful, please help me defeat the enemy." That night, in a dream, the governor saw a woman in a green dress, holding a silk fan, who approached him and said, "If you wish to defeat the enemy, you should use a clever stratagem to lure them to the sandy shore. I will assist you!" Upon waking, he wondered if the woman in his dream was subtly warning him to use a honeytrap.

At that time, in the tent was a maid from The Lai village named Ngo Thi Ngoc Lam (also known as Thi Tra), who possessed exceptional beauty and intelligence. Duke Doan ordered her to bring gold and silk to lure Lap Bao to the riverbank where the "trao trao" sound was heard, in order to devise a plan. She went to the Mac army camp and said: "My lord, I heard that you, my general, have come from afar. I have brought a small gift to make peace and end the fighting." Lap Bao was attracted by Ngo Thi's beauty but remained vigilant, saying: "Are you here to lure me?" Ngo Thi cleverly explained, and Lap Bao believed her and kept her in the tent. Ngo Thi then invited Lap Bao to the riverbank to swear an oath with the lord. Duke Doan immediately built a thatched temple on the riverbank where the "trao trao" sound was heard, to serve as the oath-taking place, and dug a secret ambush. At the appointed time, Lap Bao and Ngo Thi boarded a small boat with a few dozen attendants. Upon arriving at the dock, seeing that there were only a few people under the lord's banner, Lap Bao was unsuspecting and calmly walked to the temple gate. Suddenly, an ambush broke out. Lap Bao, frightened, tried to flee to the boat but it was too late; he fell into the water and was shot dead. The victorious army advanced, sinking many enemy ships. The enemy surrendered, and the lord allowed them to settle in the area from Con Tien upwards, establishing 36 wards of the Bai An district.

In triumph, the lord bestowed the title of "Trão Trão Linh Thu Phổ Trạch Tướng Hựu Phu Nhân" upon the river goddess, ordering the construction of a temple in her honor; he rewarded Ngo Thi and arranged a marriage for her with Vu Doan Trung, the Deputy Commander of the Thien Vo Guard (Dai Nam Thuc Luc, Education Publishing House, 2002, Vol. 1, pp. 31-32).

The "Chronicle of the Southern Dynasty's Achievements" (by Nguyen Khoa Chiem) provides more detail, stating that she refused to marry the high-ranking official Vu Doan Trung, also known as Nghi Con, who served as Deputy Commander in the Thien Vu Guard and assisted the Lord in his household. He was a handsome man, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and greatly favored by the Lord. The Lord affirmed her merits in this battle and arranged the marriage to "bring great glory to her achievements," even though she insisted on serving the Lord and maintaining her chastity. Having sacrificed herself for the country, she felt her body would become impure and difficult to cleanse, so she only requested to be assigned to kitchen duties and sweeping to repay the favor, resolutely vowing "not to obey even unto death." Only after much persuasion did she agree.

Then came the goddess from the time of the founding of the Southern Kingdom.

With the help of Mr. Ngo Kim Khanh, Mr. Ngo Kim Loc, Mr. Ngo Phi Bao, Mr. Ngo Phi Thanh..., we went to offer incense at the village temple - the shrine of the founding patron deity of The Lai Thuong village (324 Bach Dang, Hue ), especially at the altar of the Right Hand, which has two divine tablets dedicated to Mrs. Ngo Phi and the wet nurse. The tablet honors Mrs. Ngo Phi as the former court lady bestowed with the title of Duc Bao Trung Hung Linh Phu Ton Than Ngo Phi, and the wet nurse, Mrs. Pham, as the former wet nurse, Mrs. Pham.

Furthermore, the Ngo Phi ancestral temple (Ly Nam De street) still worships and commemorates the two sisters, along with their tomb in Con Ke (alley 40 Ly Nam De, Hue). Unfortunately, the tombstone only simply reads: "The tomb of the third generation Ngo Phi, second sister, commemorating the 24th of November. Erected by all descendants of the 15th generation, both paternal and maternal, in the spring of 2000."

Clearly, she was deified, as indicated by the divine title and the imperial decree of the Nguyen Dynasty issued on March 18th, the 2nd year of Khai Dinh (1917), to The Lai commune, Huong Tra district, Thua Thien province, to serve the wife of Ngo Ngoc Lam, bestowed the title of Duc Bao Trung Hung Linh Pho Ton Than. Beside her was a servant, respectfully called Nhu Nuong (nanny), and according to elderly people, the tombs of the two women were previously next to each other in Hien Sy. Elders in the Ngo Phi family, including Mr. Nguyen Dac Chinh, also shared that the widely circulated legend of her faithful sacrifice is a form of veneration, which is why the family and village continue to worship her as they do today, with no information about her husband or children. Despite the difficulties over time, the temple and rituals for worshipping her have been meticulously organized by the villagers, albeit on a modest and simple scale.

Heroic feats that transformed death zones into life zones.

From North to South, the names Bo Chinh - Bo Chinh, "southern bulwark," "land of the heart" reflected the "unlucky" nature of the land south of Hoanh Son in the traditional view of Thang Long. During the late Le dynasty, this area was also harassed by remnants of the Mac army, further escalating tensions when Duke Doan Nguyen Hoang took command of Thuan Hoa in the year Mau Ngo (1558).

Despite countless difficulties, with the strategic vision of an outstanding politician and the collective support of all, especially with the backing of both people and deities, a new political force was nurtured, gradually shaping the character of a "true Son of Heaven." This transformed the once impregnable Hoành Sơn - Hải Vân Sơn region into a vital lifeline for the entire nation heading south, maximizing the rice-farming traditions of the Southern region – the rice granary of Đồng Nai and Gia Định.

Crossing the Hoành Sơn mountain range and approaching the vast sea and sky of Southeast Asian civilization, the arduous journey of the Nguyễn Hoàng garrison required extreme caution to confront the differences in natural geography and social life, especially the goddesses of the South. Therefore, the most effective method of winning hearts and minds was to convey a message indicating "heaven's will," when both the hearts of the people and the will of heaven, with the support of the deities, were present. After the first counterattack victory in 1571, marking the merits of the founding national hero Trà Quận công phu nhân, there was another sign from heaven, thanks to the manifestation of the goddess of the Ái Tử River through the sound of the Trão Trão bird, who devised a plan involving a beautiful woman in the battle against the Mạc remnants in 1572, associated with Mrs. Ngô from Thế Lại village.

The expansion of the Nguyen Dynasty's territory was aided by military heroes and deities, particularly through encouraging messages to the generals and soldiers during the arduous early stages. The contributions of Lady Tra Quan Cong, Lady Trao Trao, and Lady Ngo Ngoc Lam stand out; they later manifested as deities and were bestowed titles by the imperial court. These were truly female heroes and deities who quietly expanded the territory, and the nation deserves to acknowledge and honor them appropriately and effectively.

Source: https://baothuathienhue.vn/doi-song/ai-tu-nam-1572-nu-nhan-than-ho-ngo-o-hue-129771.html