According to the tales of the Nguyen Dynasty, having already held a grudge against the French Résident Supérieur, King Thanh Thai also detested the sycophantic mandarins, who were known as “Western lackeys.” As such, the king often wanted to go on vi hành (incognito inspections) and connect with the lives of his people.
King Thanh Thai would often disguise himself as a commoner during these vi hành trips. Sometimes, he would pose as a beggar to experience their hardships firsthand. On other occasions, he would dress up as a gentle scholar, visiting Kim Long to admire the scenery and chat with the beautiful village girls.
King Thanh Thai
King Thanh Thai was not only renowned for his patriotism and constant worries about fighting the French but also for leaving behind many intriguing tales of his harem. These tales came about because, allegedly, he was quite easygoing when it came to selecting his concubines.
When discussing King Thanh Thai’s selection of concubines, one cannot omit the story of the ferry girl from Kim Long (near Hue). This is perhaps the most famous tale associated with this king.
The story goes that, having heard of the great beauty of the women of Kim Long, King Thanh Thai decided to disguise himself as a commoner and go there to choose another queen for himself one Tet holiday. However, upon arrival, he couldn’t find anyone to his liking, and so he decided to give up and hire a ferry back to the capital.
As he stepped onto the ferry, the king laid eyes on a young, charming, and pretty ferry girl with rosy cheeks. He was immediately captivated. The king asked her, “Nì, o tê! Would you like to marry the king?”
The ferry girl, thinking that this rich young man was teasing her, replied with a strange look, “Don’t joke about that, or they’ll cut off your head!”
Realizing that she thought he was joking, the king changed his tone and said, “I’m serious. If you want to marry the king, I can make it happen.”
Hearing this, the ferry girl blushed and turned away, unable to respond.
At that moment, another passenger on the ferry interjected, “Just say yes and see what happens!”
Encouraged, the ferry girl boldly turned to King Thanh Thai and said, “Yes.”
Delighted by her response, the king took her hand and led her to the side of the boat. When she resisted, he said, “Then, my queen, please rest while I row for you.”
And so, to the curious and delighted eyes of the onlookers, he took the oar and rowed the boat straight back to the capital.
Upon reaching the Nghinh Luong wharf, King Thanh Thai turned to the other passengers and said, “Alright, everyone, please stand up, pay the ferry fee, and escort the queen into the palace.”
Lady Huyen Phi, one of King Thanh Thai’s concubines from Kim Long. (Illustrative image)
Thus, the king fulfilled his wish of choosing a queen from Kim Long, and the ferry girl entered the harem, becoming a queen herself.
King Thanh Thai’s given name was Nguyen Phuc Buu Lan. He was born in 1879 in Hue and was the seventh son of King Dục Đức and Queen Tu Minh Hue. He ascended the throne at the young age of ten. During his reign, he fathered 19 princes and 26 princesses.
During his rule, King Thanh Thai often pretended to be a lecher, frequently bringing women back to the palace to serve him. However, in reality, he trained these women as female soldiers, equipping them with military skills and even firearms.
The female military unit established by King Thanh Thai consisted of 50 women. Once they had completed their training, he would secretly send them back to their families and recruit 50 new members. All these female soldiers were prepared to join the resistance and fight against the French.
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