Emperor Tran Due Tong

On a drill ground outside the citadel, rows of soldiers stand straight in the early sun. Shouts ring out. Feet pound the earth, and wooden staffs knock together as the men practice with clubs and spears. In the middle of the ground is a man who does not watch from above. He walks straight into the ranks, takes up a practice sword, and trains alongside his officers and men. He is Emperor Trần Duệ Tông.

His personal name was Trần Kính, and he was a son of Emperor Trần Minh Tông. He was born into the Trần dynasty, a family that had long carried the sword to guard the country. The Trần dynasty ruled Vietnam from 1225 to 1400.

He took the throne after his older brother, Emperor Trần Nghệ Tông. After handing over the throne, the brother stepped back and became Thái thượng hoàng, a retired emperor who stands behind the throne, watching over and giving guidance. The histories say Emperor Trần Duệ Tông reigned from about 1373 to 1377.

Among the Trần emperors, he stood out. He loved martial arts. He loved the beat of the drums that drilled the troops, and the sight of soldiers training every morning. In his view, a country that wanted peace needed a strong army to shelter its people.

So he worked hard to build up the army. He formed many new corps and gave each one its own name. He took care over the training of the soldiers, so that men were on guard in every corner of the realm. And wherever soldiers were drilling, people often saw the emperor standing among them, never apart.

Yet many people love him for more than the training of troops. They love the way he chose the people who served him.

The histories say that in 1374 he reorganized the army in an entirely new way. Before that, a general usually had to belong to the royal family. Emperor Trần Duệ Tông thought differently. He chose generals by talent, and not every general had to be of the royal house.

That meant an ordinary person who was truly able could still be trusted to lead troops. He had ordinary people recruited into the army as well. A man who was small in build but strong and brave could still be considered for a higher rank. What mattered to him was not whose child a man was. It was whether the man was sincere and had the strength to carry the load.

A village youth who trained hard and had talent could stand among the officers and men who guarded the country. It showed a very generous trust in people.

The emperor did not look only for men skilled in arms. He also looked for learned and virtuous people to help with the affairs of state.

In that same year, 1374, he held a great examination known as the thi Đình, to choose talented people for the country. The examination found an outstanding student who came first and was named Trạng nguyên. Trạng nguyên is the title of the top graduate of the royal examinations. The young man's name was Đào Sư Tích. From a single examination, the country gained more gifted people to share the load.

He also deeply loved what made the country its own. He set rules for clothing, for boats and carriages, and for ceremonies. That way the robes and hats, the boats, and the rites of Đại Việt had a look of their own. Đại Việt was an old name for Vietnam. Anyone could see at a glance that these were the people of this country. It was as if he wanted to remind later generations that their homeland has a beauty of its own, not to be mistaken for anyone else's.

One thing about Emperor Trần Duệ Tông made people admire him most. He believed that whoever leads must go in front. He did not sit quietly in the palace and send others in his place. He led the troops himself, walked among his officers and men, trained with them, and shared the work of guarding the realm.

He loved martial arts and built a strong army. He chose people by talent and not by family line, held an examination to find the learned and virtuous, and prized what was distinctive about his country. All of it pointed to one simple aim, which was to shelter the people so they could live in peace.

Early on the drill ground, the sun lies gold across the earth. The ranks stand straight, every eye turned the same way. And among them, never apart, is the emperor, sword in his own hand, standing at the head of the line with his officers and men. He is a leader who is always out in front, close to the people and close to the soldiers.