The Woman Who Gave Birth to 15 Royal Children
King Minh Mang had a total of 142 children. Out of those, Tran Thi Huan, the Fourth Consort, gave birth to 15 children for him, including 6 princes and 9 princesses.
She was originally from Dien Khanh district, Quang Nam province. Her year of birth and death are unknown. According to historical records, she entered the royal court of King Minh Mang when he was still in Tiem De, the residence of the Crown Prince.
Within the palace walls, there were countless beautiful women. It is not clear how attractive Tran Thi Huan was, but being close to the king and giving birth to 15 royal children is certainly extraordinary.
After ascending to the throne, King Minh Mang elevated her to the position of Fourth Consort in the imperial harem. For a king who had countless concubines, many of whom never even saw his face, giving birth to 15 children for the king was a stroke of luck for Tran Thi Huan, the Fourth Consort.
According to the Nguyen Phuc lineage, besides Tran Thi Huan, there was also Ho Thi Hoa, a concubine who was fortunate enough to be “close” to the king and give birth to a son, who later became King Thieu Tri. Unfortunately, she died just 13 days after giving birth. She was posthumously honored as Ta Thien Nhan Empress.
In addition to these two women, the king had two concubines, five consorts, two others, seven noble ladies, two beauties, eight talented individuals, twelve palace attendants, and several others whose names and origins are unknown.
According to historical records, the most favored and loved by the king were Empress Le Nguyen Thi Thuy Truc and, especially, Noble Consort Ngo Thi Chinh.
The Two Outstanding Princes
Out of the 15 children of Tran Thi Huan and King Minh Mang, two stood out: Quang Ninh Quan Prince Nguyen Phuc Mien Mat and An Quoc Duke Nguyen Phuc Mien Ngung.
Nguyen Phuc Mien Mat (Bat) was the third son of King Minh Mang and Tran Thi Huan, the Fourth Consort. He was the 30th prince. From a young age, Mien Bat showed exceptional intelligence, loved to learn and write, and studied under external tutors. He read any books he could find, which endeared him to the king.
An Quoc Duke Mien Ngung was the sixth child of Huu Tan. When he was young, Mien Ngung showed a keen interest in learning and had a talent for poetry and literature.
At the age of 20, he left the palace and resided in his own residence. He was well-versed in history and read all the books of the Hundred Schools without exception. His writing was polished and easy to read.
Mien Mat and Mien Ngung were equally talented and were praised by the king as the “Two Outstanding Princes.” However, it is unfortunate that both of them, who possessed great talents, had short lives and died at a very young age.
Based on the available historical records, besides Mien Mat and Mien Ngung, many of the 15 children of Tran Thi Huan and King Minh Mang died at a young age. Princess Nguyen Phuc Phuc Tuong was born in 1841, the youngest daughter of the Fourth Consort. She was the 64th princess born after the death of her father, but she also passed away at the age of 25.
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