English: No. 65. (Barker: 58.1-58.2)

Same as before, but with the characters 通寶 Thong-bao written in a different style. Copper coins issued by King 莊宗 TRANG-TONG (1533-1549). 12th King. - 中宗 TRUNG-TONG. 1549-1557. During this reign began the supremacy of the TRINH family, to whom all the Le kings were soon subordinate. General 阮金 NGUYEN-CAM the restorer of the Le, had died of poison, and as his two sons were still of tender years, his position was occupied by General 鄭檢 TRINH-KIEM. The whole of this reign was passed by this general in making war against the Macs, and fearing the power that might be exercised by the two sons of Nguyen-cam on arriving at majority, he made them feudal lords of the provinces of 順化 Thuan-hoa and 廣南 Quang-nam then occupied by the Macs. The history of the principality thus formed, and from the rulers of which the present dynasty descended, will be found in chapter XIX. 13th King. - 英宗 ANH-TONG. 1557-1572. TRINH-KIEM followed up the war against the Macs, and with an army of fitly thousand men entered the province of 山南 Son-nam where he was defeated. He soon, however, got men together again, and in 1560 reached the neighbourhood of Ha-noi, the capital of the Macs. In 1569 He transferred his power to his son 鄭從 TRINH-TONG, who was unable to occupy his position until he had fought against one of his brothers. He continued the war against the Macs in the province of Thanh-hoa, and for the first time, in 1572, sent the royal troops to fight against the NGUYEN in the Quang-nam; but they were defeated. Tlie power and authority of Trinh-tong in the palace were so great that the king was practically put aside. Desirous of ending this thraldom. Anh-tong ran away secretly to the province of 爻安 Nghe-an. TRINH-TONG acted as the Macs had done previously; he appointed another king and went to Nghe-an where he made Anh-tong prisoner, and murdered him. 14th King - 世宗 THE-TONG. l572-l599. This king, who was proclaimed by TRINH-TONG, was naturally under his tutelage. The wars against the Macs went on, the king sometimes having to protect his territories against their invasions, and at other times invading Tunquin from the provinces of 寧平 Ninh-binh, 南定 Nam-dinh, and 興化 Hung-hoa. TRINH-TONG's good fortune carried him as far as the walls of Hanoi, which capital he took by storm in 1592, burning and destroying it, and capturing MAU-HIEI, the Mac king. The same fate befell MAC TUYEN and MAC KINH-CHI, and after some diplomatic negotiations with the Emperor of China, Thrinh-tong was allowed to exercise royal authority over the new provinces conquered from the Macs, who had only one small state left on the frontier. Then (1599) Trinh-tong was appointed 平安王 Binh-an-vuong. or Peaceful Prince. The king being sick he nominated his successor to the throne. 15th King. - 敬宗 KINH-TONG. 1599-1619. He was made king by the will of his father, but by the authority of Trinh-tong. This powerful Lord had to quell several military rebellions, and at one. time he was very seriously menaced by a conspiracy in which one of his own sons and the king had taken part. The conspiracy was discovered in time, and Trinh-tong, having made the king prisoner, hanged him in his own palace. 16th King. - 神宗 THAN-TONG. 1619-1642. This king was also nominated by TRINH-TONG, who was now growing old and feeble. He tried to secure the succession to his power by dividing it between his two sons, in order to avoid dissensions. But jealousy broke out in his family even before his death, as not only both his sons but also one of his brothers tried to scrure his power. Trinh-tong; was taken ill to his brother's house and there his younger son was murdered. The elder, called 鄭莊 TRINH-TRANG, hearing of this, ran away to the province of Thanh-hoa, taking with him the king and the royal family. Trinh-tong was then driven away from his brother's place, and abandoned by the servants who had carried him away in a sedan chair, died alone on the road. So ended the statesman who had more capitcity and energy than any other man mentioned in the whole of Annamese history, and who for the prosperity of the kingdom, as well as for his own protection, severed the heads of five kings and gave to the old LE dynasty a territory to govern. TRINH-TRANG succeeded his father on the throne, and seing the power of the Macs reduced to the small state of Cao-bang, directed his activity to subdue the Nguyen; but the royal armies were repulsed in every expedition they made against the Quang-nam. In 1642 King THAN-TONG abdicated in favour of his sun 袥 HUU.

17th King. - 真宗 CHON-TONG. 1642-1648. Nothing worthy of notice occurred during his reign, except an expedition against the Quang-nam principality, where the Le troops again had to take to flight. The king died in 1648, and his father Than-tong ascended the throne for the second time. 神宗 THAN-TONG (2nd time) 1648-1662. TRINH-TRANG was attacked in 1653 by the NGUYEN armies, which took possession of the province of 爻安 Nghe-an, after having annihilated the royal troop sent against them. He died of grief in 1654 and was succeeded by his son 鄭碩 TRINH-THAC, who at once despatched an army against the Nguyen, but was likewise defeated. In 1662 the king died.