The poor student and plotted to overthrow… King Tu Duc

Doan Huu Trung or Doan Trung (1844-1866) was born into a poor family in An Truyen village, Phu Vang district, Thua Thien – Hue province, thanks to his intelligence and eagerness to learn, Tuy Ly Vuong Mien Trinh allowed him to study in the royal palace. . Later, he was given by Tung Thien Vuong Mien Tham (the brother of Tuy Ly Vuong) because of his wealth, that he married The Cuc’s daughter.

Before the extreme life of the people, the risk of being colonized by the French, Doan Huu Trung wanted to overthrow Tu Duc to establish Dinh Dao (ie Nguyen Phuc Ung Dao – the eldest son of Nguyen Phuc Hong Bao) to the throne.

To prepare for the uprising, Doan Huu Trung first asked to leave the Ky Thuong member of his father-in-law, and at the same time returned his wife, The Cuc, to the family with the excuse of “disrespecting his mother-in-law”. This can be an excuse to avoid the wife’s family less involved if unfortunately the uprising fails.

After that, Doan Huu Trung made friends with like-minded people, established the Dong Son Thieu Tuu Festival with the policy of “drinking wine, reciting poetry, and having fun”. But in fact, this literary activity is just a cover to hide political activities to overthrow King Tu Duc.

Doan Huu Trung and his two younger brothers, Doan Tu Truc, Doan Huu Ai and two friends, Truong Trong Hoa and Pham Luong, connected some civil servants such as Ton That Cuc and implicitly mobilized the people at Van Nien mausoleum to revolt. .

Doan Huu Trung attracted a number of high-ranking mandarins to do internal affairs; sent Doan Tu Truc to survey the inner city, disguised as a book seller to secretly meet Dinh Dao who was under house arrest. Doan Huu Ai pretended to be a monk to entice monks and some Buddhist followers into the organization, borrowing Phap Van Pagoda as a secret base for meetings, making weapons, and serving as headquarters when the uprising broke out.

Phap Van Pagoda near Van Nien Co, where thousands of soldiers and workers are building a mausoleum, was identified as the place to be propagated to become the core force for the uprising.

On the night of September 16-17, 1866, forces from the Phap Van flock moved to Van Nien office to arrest foreman Nguyen Van Chat. The soldiers who were holding the pestle pounding lime were allowed to go home to rest. The insurgent force used the pestle to pound lime of the soldiers at the construction site as a weapon, so this uprising, later also known as “Lime pestilence”.

After that, the whole army from the Van Nien square pulled into the city. When Doan Huu Trung captured the Thai Hoa Palace, Doan Tu Truc attacked the main door of Duyet Thi Duong and met Ho Oai’s resistance. Unable to capture the king, Doan Huu Trung ordered troops to gather at Thai Hoa Palace, sent Doan Tu Truc to inspect the road to bring Dinh Dao back to be ordained, but Ho Oai promptly came to counterattack. Doan Huu Trung was arrested. The uprising failed.

Dai Nam Shi Luc Record the king’s words: Except for the wicked, the bones must be completely exhausted, so it is determined, I am sure, I have suffered the reputation of cruelty and cruelty, but have eliminated all evil seeds, not worrying about the next life.

After that, Doan Huu Trung, Truc, Hoa, Quy and 9 other people were executed by the king and beheaded; family of 8 Dinh Dao was hanged; Nguyen Cuc committed suicide, ordered to chop the body into pieces, put his head on…

King Tu Duc’s anger was not only that. Doan Huu Trung’s father-in-law (the king’s uncle) was Tung Thien Vuong Mien Tham, although he was not involved and also took the initiative to tie his daughter The Cuc and his nephew (the son of Doan Huu Trung) to confess, but was still disqualified for one day. year, closed the Sign Bonus member and not allowed to contact anyone outside. The Cuc, Doan Huu Trung’s wife, even though she had been “evicted” to her biological parents’ house before, was forced to change to her mother’s last name and had to become a monk.

According to Nguyen dynasty manuscripts, most of the children of people who are considered as serious criminals such as Doan Huu Trung, Nguyen Cuc, Bui Van Lieu… when they are 16 years old, they are executed by beheading.

Although Doan Huu Trung’s uprising failed, it left a mark in this historical period. Today, his name is given to the streets in Hue, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City…