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Crafting a Tale Heard and Read - Week 2
Prompt: Retell a story you have heard or read praising peace and opposing war
Answer:
King Quang Trung's decisive victory against the Qing forces
Upon hearing that the Qing army had seized Thang Long and Bac Binh Vuong, military leaders convened to discuss deploying troops. They all urged the king to suppress the invaders for the sake of public tranquility and clear moral standing.
On the 25th of November, 1788, Bac Binh Vuong ascended to the throne as Emperor, taking the title Quang Trung.
King Quang Trung immediately led his naval and ground forces northward. Upon reaching Nghe An, he spent another 10 days recruiting additional soldiers, amassing a total of 100,000 troops and over 100 elephants.
King Quang Trung strategically divided his forces into four paths:
- Two paths took the maritime route, heading towards the Luc Dau River to intercept the enemy's front and block the Qing forces from retreating.
- Two paths traversed the mountainous terrain to intercept the enemy's rear and engage the western flank of the opposing army.
- The central path, led by King Quang Trung himself, advanced straight towards Thang Long via the main road.
Crossing the Jian Waterway (the border between Ninh Binh and Ha Nam), King Quang Trung's troops swiftly advanced to Phu Xuyen, capturing alive the Qing reconnaissance unit stationed there, preventing anyone from escaping to alert nearby outposts.
In the dead of night on the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year (1789), King Quang Trung besieged the Ha Hoi outpost, then loudly demanded surrender. Terrified, the Qing forces surrendered, relinquishing all their provisions and weapons.
At dawn on the 5th day, King Quang Trung ordered an assault on the Ngoc Hoi outpost, where Qing soldiers rained bullets like a storm. King Quang Trung ordered his troops to assemble makeshift shields from planks and wet straw, with 20 men carrying each shield and armed soldiers following closely behind. Upon reaching the outpost gates, our soldiers dropped the shields and charged in with swords. The trailing troops also surged forward, overwhelming the Qing defenders who fled in disarray. Our forces swiftly seized control of the outposts, leaving Qing soldiers strewn across the ground, their generals like Hua The Hanh all perishing in battle.
While King Quang Trung fiercely battled at Ngoc Hoi, Admiral Long led the western fleet to attack Kuong Thuong, near Dong Da Hill. Sam Nghi Dong couldn't hold the line and met his end. Admiral Long then advanced towards Thang Long.
Ton Si Nghi abandoned his post, crossing the river to seek refuge in the north. Soldiers scrambled across the bridge, which collapsed, drowning many. The troops from Van Nam and Quy Chau, stationed in Son Tay, hastily retreated.
On that noon, King Quang Trung, adorned in a blackened royal robe tainted with gunpowder, boldly marched into Thang Long amidst the resounding cheers of soldiers and civilians.
* Explanation of terms:
- triumph: major victory
- Northern Protector: the title of Nguyen Hue before becoming Emperor Quang Trung.
- naval forces: soldiers using boats to fight on water, ground forces are soldiers fighting on land.
- Lunar New Year: the first day of the lunar year.
- right side: the right side
- left side: the left side
- central path: the path going through the middle
- official road: the main road managed by the state
- command: arranging and directing
- military provisions: food supplies for the army
- fallen in battle: died in battle
- fierce battle: intense fighting
- seal of authority: literally a seal to make a belief, it should be understood as a seal (stamp) to demonstrate the power of a general.
- royal robe: the robe of a king
Continue reading other essays to excel in Vietnamese Language class 5
- Essay on National Spirit
- Essay on Letter to Fellow Students
