That was King Tran Du Tong (1336-1369), real name Tran Hao, the 7th emperor of the Tran dynasty.

Tran Du Tong ascended the throne in 1341, at the age of 5, and took the reign name Thieu Phong. At first, when he succeeded to the throne, all government affairs were still handled by the retired emperor Tran Minh Tong. It was not until 1357, when Tran Minh Tong died, that Tran Du Tong officially took power of the government.

During his early reign, Tran Du Tong did many useful things, but later he became more and more lazy about politics, only enjoying himself, and the Tran dynasty's foundation weakened from then on.

According to Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu, one summer night, June of the year Binh Ngo (1366), the king took a small boat to visit Lieutenant Tran Ngo Lang's house in Me So village, and returned at the third watch. When he reached Chu Gia river (a section of the river at Chu Xa beach, Khoai Chau, Hung Yen), his seal and precious sword were stolen. The king knew he could not live long, so he indulged in excessive debauchery.

Although the Tran Dynasty's laws strictly punished gambling, Tran Du Tong still organized gambling right in the palace. The king was so indulgent that contemporary historians commented that "even the northern kings were more indulgent".

During the reign of King Tran Du Tong, there was a strange story that has been passed down to this day. Once, the Champa people offered tribute to the king. Normally, the tribute would be precious items, pearls, and rare herbs, but this time it was different.

The book Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu wrote: "In March 1352, Che Mo of Champa fled to our country, offering a white elephant, a white horse, and a large ant (1 meter 9 inches long) along with other tributes, asking our country to send troops to attack Tra Hoa Bo De and establish him as king." The strangest thing was that the king accepted this tribute.

Because of his debauchery, King Tran Du Tong's health gradually deteriorated. He died in the year of Ky Dau 1369, at the age of 33, having reigned for a total of 28 years.

Kim Nha