King Quang Trung and the Secret of History

In a dharma talk, the teacher recalled the childhood memories of many Vietnamese people. We have all heard the dreamlike love story between King Quang Trung and Princess Ngọc Hân. The tale often ends in a romantic tragedy: when the Tây Sơn dynasty collapsed and Nguyễn Ánh captured Phú Xuân, he was so struck by Ngọc Hân's beauty that he kept her and married her. The image of this delicate, talented, yet ill-fated woman, forced into a concubine's life with her husband's enemy, has haunted generations. Many tell this story with added dramatic details, making it incredibly vivid and persuasive.

However, when serious historians began their research and sought original documents, the real picture emerged, clearer and far more harsh. The historical truth reveals that when the upheaval occurred, Princess Ngọc Hân did not stay to await her fate. She fled the capital with her two young children. The tragedy was not in a forced marriage, but in an unjust death. All three, mother and children, were captured and killed. There was no subsequent event of her becoming a queen of the Nguyễn dynasty.

The teacher shared, "When I was young, I also thought that story was true. Even books and films have used this motif. But it turns out that even oral history, stories passed down through folklore, can be seriously mistaken."

This misconception is not merely the fault of ancient storytellers but a lesson for listeners today. We tend to believe in stories with dramatic plots and emotional elements because they satisfy our human need for feeling. But emotion is not truth. Accepting false information about a major historical figure like Ngọc Hân not only distorts history but also reflects a deficiency in each individual's ability to assess information.

When we ask, "Why do we believe so easily?" the answer often lies in mental laziness. We are reluctant to seek sources, reluctant to read in-depth research, and prefer listening to engaging narratives over dry facts. This leads to the consequence of deep-rooted false prejudices in our subconscious, affecting how we perceive the world around us.

The story's meaning

The story of Princess Ngọc Hân teaches us that believing means accepting something as true, but not everything that is told is the truth. Especially in the fields of history and culture, folk tales are often fictionalized to increase their appeal. Practitioners of cultivation and intellectuals need a cautious attitude, knowing how to distinguish between "rumor" and "fact," and should not be credulous toward accounts lacking scientific or historical basis. Mindfulness in our beliefs helps us avoid wrong views and build a solid foundation of knowledge.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang