In the winter of October, the 2nd year of the Snake (1389), the Champa army came to capture Thanh Hoa and attack the Co Vo incense, King Thuan Tong sent Ho Quy Ly to bring his army to defend, but lost the battle, he fled back to the city. the capital, asked for more boats to support, but the emperor did not agree.
Ho Quy Ly therefore resigned from the army and stopped fighting. As for Nguyen Da Phuong and Pham Kha Vinh, seeing that the enemy was strong, and without any support, they fled.
Chiem Thanh army triumphantly advanced to the North, stationed on the Hoang Giang River (in present-day Ha Nam province).
Thang Long Citadel fell into chaos, people were afraid to flee. The emperor immediately sent Tran Khat Chan, a young general and a low-ranking martial officer, to take the Long Tiep army to fight the enemy.
In January of the Year of the Horse (1390), Che Bong Nga and Nguyen Dieu brought more than 100 warships to see the situation of the Tran army.
Among Bong Nga’s military officers was Ba Luu Ke, a minor god who was punished by Bong Nga for fear of death, fled to the Tran army and pointed at the mountain boat (blue) saying it was the king’s boat. When Khat Chan knew, he sent the guns to focus on this boat and kill Bong Nga, the enemy troops scattered.
In order to reward Tran Khat Chan, King Thuan Tong appointed him Long Tiep, promoted the god of internal defense to the general, gave him the title of Vu Tiet mandarin, and was granted two generals of Dong Thanh and Nguyen Xa as fiefdoms; later gave him and his brother Tran Nguyen Hang, Ke Mo commune (now Hoang Mai).
In 1394, when Emperor Nghe Tong died, Ho Quy Ly forced King Thuan Tong to cede the throne to his 3-year-old son, Crown Prince An, and then ordered someone to kill Thuan Tong (1399).
Since 1397, Ho Quy Ly began to build a new capital in Thanh Hoa (still known today as Tay Do citadel, or Ho Dynasty citadel).
The Ho Dynasty Citadel has 4 doors opening in four directions and the South gate is the main gate. This gate has a paved road leading directly to Don Son mountain (ie Dun mountain in Cao Mat commune, Vinh Loc district, Thanh Hoa province).
This road is up to three thousand meters long and according to local people, it was built by Tran Khat Chan.
The cruel deeds of Ho Quy Ly made some mandarins who embraced the idea of loyalty to the Tran family even more dissatisfied.
They colluded to find a way to assassinate Ho Quy Ly. Among them are brothers Tran Khat Chan and Tran Nguyen Hang.
In the summer of 1399, Ho Quy Ly held an oath festival on the top of Don Son mountain. Ho Quy Ly sat on the upper floor of Khat Chan’s house to watch. Pham Thu To and the assassin Pham Nguu Tat took the sword to go upstairs, but for some reason, Khat Chan glared at him to stop, then stopped.
Ho Quy Ly got up and went downstairs with bodyguards guarding him.
Niu Tat immediately dropped his sword on the ground and said: All of them will die.
Then, the matter was revealed, from the royal family of Tran Nguyen Hang to the headquarters of Nhat Don, General Tran Khat Chan, Pham Kha Vinh, commanders Ha Duc Lan, Luong Nguyen Biao, Pham Ong Thien, Pham Nguu Tat and their relatives. Nearly a total of more than 370 people were killed and their property confiscated, girls made slaves, boys aged 1 year or older or buried alive, or drowned.
Tran Khat Chan died at the age of 29. After his death, in memory of his merits to the people, to the country, the people built temples.
About the death of Senior Lieutenant General Tran Khat Chan, in the book “Dai Viet historical records toan thu” there is a passage: It is said that when Khat Chan was about to be slashed, he went to Don Son mountain to scream three times. After three days of death, his face was still alive, and flies did not dare to enter. Then meet the great limit of the island, then immediately respond. Later, the dynasties all ordained Tran Khat Chan and Tran Nguyen Xiang to be the Supreme God of Phuc.
Discussion:
Tran Khat Chan’s period was the period of decline of the Tran dynasty. The constant and fierce wars against neighboring countries, especially Champa, made the national potential more and more exhausted.
The last kings of the Tran dynasty were mostly incompetent and overwhelmed by divine power, even forced to death (the king who was killed in battle was Tran Due Tong (1372-1377), the king who was persecuted was Tran Pho De (1377-1381) ) and Tran Thuan Tong (1388-1398), the king who was usurped was Tran Thieu De (1398-1400).
The most famous god was Ho Quy Ly and it was Ho Quy Ly who usurped the Tran dynasty in 1400.
Unfortunately, Lieutenant General Tran Khat Chan was the one who had enough talent and courage to kill Che Bong Nga and defeat the invading army of Champa, but could not preserve his body before the complicated events of the Tran dynasty. took place not long after.
And it was because of Tran Khat Chan’s hesitation that Ho Quy Ly knew the tricks of the Tran Dynasty’s literary and martial officials at that time. And Ho Quy Ly did not hesitate to take the initiative to take the first step.
It’s good to know that hesitation, indecision at the right time and right place not only costs you with your own life but also the existence of an entire dynasty.