Emperor Tran Anh Tong

Emperor Trần Anh Tông, the diligent emperor of later years, was not always so well behaved as a young man. For a time he loved amusement and played too much, and he let his own duties slide.

His real name was Trần Thuyên. He was the fourth emperor of the Trần dynasty, which ruled Vietnam from 1225 to 1400. His father was Emperor Trần Nhân Tông.

That father had by then stepped back to become Thượng hoàng, a retired emperor, and he heard about it. He did not scold his son. He simply counseled him gently and showed him what was right and what was wrong.

What came next is the most precious part. The young man listened. He saw his own fault and made up his mind to mend it. From that day he no longer chased amusement as he had before. A father's word and a son who listened were enough to change a whole man.

Once he had learned to correct himself, Trần Anh Tông became a different man. He gave all his strength to caring for his people and his country.

He took the throne in 1293, and it was a special moment. Three times before then, the country had beaten the armies of the Nguyên Mông. The Nguyên Mông were the Yuan, the Mongol dynasty then ruling China. Now the country had entered a time of peace. The drums of war had gone quiet and the smoke had cleared. The young emperor's task was no longer to take up a sword and go to battle. It was to guard and build up those calm, warm days.

And he studied. People like to picture him at night, when the day's court business was done, quietly lighting a lamp. The whole capital is asleep. In one small room a single lamp is still burning. Beside it, a very young emperor bends over a book. He turns the pages one by one and follows every word with his eyes. He reads on and on, long after everyone else has gone to rest. He studied to understand right from wrong and to learn how to look after all his people. He understood a plain truth: when an emperor is able and wise, the people can live in peace with enough to eat.

Under his hand the country settled into good order. Historical accounts of the Trần dynasty say that during his reign the government was good, and the rules of the court grew steadier and more prosperous. He valued learned people and looked for talented men to help the country. Schooling and examinations were widened, so that capable people could be chosen to serve the people.

There is one more lovely thing about this emperor. He did not only read books. He wrote poems himself. Busy as he was with countless duties, a corner of his heart stayed open to beauty and verse. Sadly, most of his poetry was lost over the years, and only about 14 poems remain. Few as they are, they show that the man on the throne long ago had a soul that loved words.

That small lamp burned late into the night. A young emperor sat alone beside it in the quiet, bent over his book. Those nights raised an emperor who cared for his people. In return came seasons of ripe rice and peaceful villages, in a time of calm.

He reigned for 21 years. In 1314 he handed the throne to his son, Emperor Trần Minh Tông, and became a retired emperor himself. He stood quietly behind his son and guided him, just as his own father had once guided him.