VIET NAM
Le Chi Vien:
The Untold Story
Stage 3
Story by Khanh Pham
Edited by Julia Lim and the CLA Editing Team
Illustrated by Anya Kumarawati
Chapter 1
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On the way home, Minh was depressed. It's impossible to finish a 2,000-word report in just two days. What was it? Le Tri Vien? Retribution? He didn’t notice that the construction workers were carrying a stack of boards in front of him. When he looked up, the wood hit him in the head, and everything went black.
It was a hot summer day. Minh was getting bored in history class. He put his head down, and comfortably fell asleep. Then someone woke him up. When he opened his eyes, the teacher was standing in front of him.
“Is this your house, Mr. Minh?” she said as the other students laughed. “Did you hear anything I said?” Minh looked down quietly. Why didn’t anyone wake him up? “I expect a 2,000-word report on the Le Chi Vien crime by Thursday’s class. Is that clear?”
“What? But that means I only have two days!” He looked around for help from his friends but everyone got quiet.
The teacher half-smiled. “Class dismissed. See you Thursday.”
Woken up by the sound of birds, he looked around and realized something was wrong. The house he was in and the furniture around him were made of bamboo and straw. It was not Hanoi.
“You’re alive!” There was a guy wearing really old clothes. Minh screamed. The guy screamed. “Calm down, you had an accident!”
Minh was indeed feeling weak, but he was alert enough to question the situation. “Who are you and where am I?”
“Well, I am Vu. I found you near the river outside of Hoa Lu. I took you in because you didn't look like you were from the city.”
Hoa Lu? River? Minh didn’t understand anything the guy said. “Can I borrow your phone to call my family?”
“Phone? What’s that?”
“A cell phone? Telephone? Anything works.”
“How hard did you hit your head?” Vu asked, looking confused. “You’re talking all gibberish.”
“Excuse me? I’m not the one wearing strange clothes and some old hairstyle!”
“I only tried to help you and that’s how you’re going to talk to me?” Vu frowned. “It's getting dark. Unless you live close, you may have to spend another night here. You should hurry and wash up.”
Vu left and Minh was alone with his thoughts. Not only did he not know where Hoa Lu was; but also, there was no telephone around. In fact, he didn’t see any modern technology in the house.
Could he have time-traveled?
“That’s ridiculous.” But no matter how hard he thought, there was no explanation.
Minh decided to look for Vu. He found him practicing martial arts in the yard.
“Hey!” Minh called out.
“You scared me!” Vu shouted.
“Oh, sorry, but I have a few questions.”
“I do, too. When are you going to leave?”
Vu did not think well of Minh. Minh laughed embarrassingly.
“Where did you say we are again?”
“Hoa Lu.”
“...And where is that again?”
Vu was puzzled. “It’s the capital of Dai Viet. Who doesn’t know that? Really, where did you come from?”
Isn’t that the old name for Vietnam? Minh was finally understanding something. He decided to ask one more question to confirm his theory.
“Can you tell me what year it is?”
“It's 1447. Have you been living under a rock?” Vu asked, clearly annoyed.
Minh was speechless. Then he shouted, “It’s 1447, which means I really have gone back in time.”
“What is wrong with you!?” Vu rubbed his ears. “ Are you crying?”
“I’m not crying,” Minh said. But Minh was clearly crying. He wanted to go back home. He couldn’t stop panicking.
“Do you want to wash your face?” Vu didn't know what to do. He was just as troubled about Minh's situation as Minh. He went inside and grabbed new clothes for Minh. “Change your clothes.”
“Thanks, bro.”
“Bro?” But before Vu could ask what that meant, Minh was heading towards the river.
Chapter 2
Minh returned from the river as the sun set. The bath helped him calm down and think clearly. At least he can enjoy this short break away from school and homework in a land far away yet also close.
Vu was already waiting for him at the house. The smell of sweet potatoes made Minh hungry. Noticing Minh, Vu signaled him to come over and sit with him.
For a few minutes, they sat in silence. Neither knew what to say. Eventually, Vu asked. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes!” Minh answered almost immediately. He calmed down and replied again. “The river felt great.” Vu used a stick to remove the sweet potatoes from the fire as they sat in silence again. Minh tried to take a potato, but it was too hot, and he burned his fingers. Vu started laughing, and so did Minh.
“What was your name again?” Vu asked.
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Minh.”
They shook hands. Then, Vu gave Minh a serious look.
“I couldn’t understand why you acted so strangely earlier. Would you mind explaining?”
Minh took a deep breath. “Okay, this might sound crazy, but here goes.”
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Just like that, Minh explained to Vu how he had traveled from the future. He also talked about how different modern times were. Vu struggled to believe him, but he listened and enjoyed the explanation as they ate the sweet potatoes. The two had managed to grow comfortable around each other after that.
“Why are you living alone? Where’s your family?”
The smile on Vu’s face disappeared.
“My family’s dead.”
“Oh.” Minh wished he hadn’t asked that question. “I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay. I never told that to anyone. I have always been alone ever since my family died.”
“Why?” Minh asked before he realized how stupid the question was. “You don't have to answer if you don't want to.”
Vu hesitated but decided to open up to his new friend from the ‘future’.
“My father used to be a trusted adviser at the palace. He was close to the previous king, but failed to get along with the new king. The new king loved my mother, though, and they met very often. I think my mother was only with the king to help my father keep his position in the palace. However, in the end, my father, Nguyen Trai decided to retire, and we moved away from the capital. The king still visited sometimes, but one fateful day…”
Vu opened up about how the king suddenly passed away from malaria during a visit to his house and how the king’s death was blamed on his family. As a result, the Queen had sentenced his entire family to death.
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“Eventually, I was taken in by an old woodworker who taught me many useful skills. He passed away last year. He treated me kindly, but I never told him anything. If he had known, I would be dead by now. I’ve been all alone.”
“I’m so sorry.” Minh tried to comfort Vu. “What have you been doing after the woodworker passed away?”
“I sold the old workshop and moved here to focus on studying and practicing martial arts. I want to take the palace entrance exam.”
“What?”
“If you pass the exam, you enter the palace to work as a guard and get further training.”
“But why? Didn’t they kill your family?”
“I need to enter the palace to clear my family name. I know I can find something in the palace to prove my parents were innocent.”
The idea was no different from suicide. Although Minh was against it, it seemed that Vu had made up his mind a long time ago.
“In that case, I want to join you.”
“What!?” Vu was shocked. “Are you crazy? It’s dangerous!”
“What else can I do? I’m stuck here, and I only know you. At least let me train with you!”
"Do you even know how to fight? The test is one month from now. If you can’t pass, I’m still entering the palace and you’ll be on your own. Aren’t you better off looking for something else to do?”, Vu doubted Minh.
“Hey, don’t think so little of me! I have a black belt in Taekwondo. Do you even know what Taekwondo is? I’m sure I can handle it.”
“Oh, really? Let's see your moves.” Vu stepped back and took position, ready to fight.
“I don’t fight for no reason.” Minh said.
“You’re just scared, aren’t you?” Vu provoked. Minh ignored him, but Vu started making chicken noises and walking around like a chicken to tease him.
WHOOSH! THUD!
With a swipe under Vu’s feet, Minh successfully knocked him down to the ground. Vu was speechless for a while before bursting into laughter. Minh laughed along and helped Vu back on his feet.
“I guess I wouldn’t mind having a partner. Tomorrow morning?”
“Sure, bro.”
“Let's get some sleep… bro.” Vu had picked up the new expression. They continued laughing as they went back inside. He hadn’t had this much fun in a while now.
✽
They began training together the next morning, up until the day of the palace entrance exam. Minh taught Vu some martial arts know-how, and in return Vu taught him military tactics and weapons. Vu had high hopes for Minh.
The night before the exam, neither Minh nor Vu could sleep. Minh became anxious. How would he find a way to return to his time? He missed his family and friends. Vu, on the other hand, was worried about what might happen after the exam. Would he be able to prove his father’s innocence?
Vu remembered what his father wrote in his last letter. ‘The most dangerous place is the safest place’. Vu strongly believed his father had hidden clues to what had really happened. That’s why no matter how dangerous it was, he had to enter the palace.
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On the day the soldiers came to take his family away, his mother quietly led him out of the house. She told Vu, “Get away from here and live as a different person from now on. Prove that your family is innocent, and then you can return.” The last thing he received from his mother was a letter. It was written by his father.
This case was called the Le Chi Vien incident.
Chapter 3
The streets of Hoa Lu were lively from the people celebrating their children entering the royal palace. Along with many other young people, Minh and Vu walked past the palace’s gate, feeling proud of their own hard work.
As the months went by, they slowly became disheartened. Training was tough. Minh and Vu couldn’t even find the time to talk to each other, let alone find clues.
Minh began to regret his decision to follow Vu. What was he thinking? Vu was too focused on his revenge to help Minh. He felt like he’s going to be stuck here forever.
Vu fought on. He drew a map of the palace to learn every inch of it. When they finally finish the training, he would be able to find clues to his family’s innocence. A few more months is nothing.
‘Screw this!’, Minh thought, 'I’m done. I can’t live like this anymore. Vu wants revenge for his family? I’ll do that for him. I’ll go and find the queen by myself and ask her what had happened. I’m tired of this!” Minh was at his limit.
That night, Minh snuck out of his dorm. With a simple plan, he started moving as fast as possible. He successfully avoided all the guards so far, but he met another problem. After all of the running and hiding, he was lost. He was berating himself when he suddenly heard someone’s voice. He quickly climbed a tree to hide himself.
“Hey!” Minh froze, staying completely still to avoid getting caught. “Hey! Get down here!”, the voice came again. “It’s just me.” Minh looked down and saw Vu standing beneath the tree he was hiding in. Relaxed, Minh slowly climbed down and reached the ground safely with Vu’s help.
As soon as Minh’s feet touched the ground, Vu threatened to punch him. “What were you thinking?! Are you crazy?!”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, okay?”, Minh covered himself. “It’s just... We’ve been here forever. I just wanted to help and get us out of here.”
Vu’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, too. I know you want to go back, but if you go, I will be all alone again”. Vu turned his face away from Minh, “You are my first true friend”.
“Bro...”, Minh put a hand on Vu’s shoulder.
“I know I have been selfish”, Vu wiped off a tear, “I will try to help you get back. I swear”, he turned himself back to Minh, looking as determined as ever. “I know the way to the royal chambers. Let’s just go right now so that you can go back to your time.”
“What? Are you sure?” Minh was surprised. He didn’t expect Vu to say such things.
“I’m being serious. Let’s not waste any more time and get you back home.”
“HEY!” Suddenly, a loud voice came from a distance away. Minh and Vu both turned to look in that direction. They’d been spotted. They could see the shadows of dozens of men approaching them.
“Run!”
Neither of them knew where they were going, but their main goal was the same: Not getting caught. They ran as fast as they could, but there were guards pouring in from all sides. “We have to split up. You go that way, I go this way”, Vu said. They ran in opposite directions. Minh didn’t know how far he had run, or where he was at the moment, but he seemed to have lost the guards.
Minh was in the much fancier part of the palace, with bigger buildings and beautiful gardens. This must be where all the important people live. Minh had a great idea. While the whole palace is looking for some runaways, he could look for evidence.
Because he didn’t know where he was, he just entered the closest room. It wasn’t the royal chamber, but it didn’t look like a normal place either. The room was filled with books and papers. Minh quickly ran to the table and checked the papers on it. Most of them were blank. He then grabbed a random book and looked at it using the moonlight. Unfortunately, he realized he couldn’t understand what was written on it. He couldn’t understand the old Chinese-Vietnamese characters.
Frustrated, he slammed the book back into the bookshelf so hard that the bookshelf moved a bit. Full of doubts, Minh pushed the entire bookshelf as hard as he could and discovered a secret room. It had nothing but a table, two chairs and a little shelf. On the shelf, there was a beautiful wooden box with gold decoration. It was locked. Somehow, Minh had a feeling that this was it.
This must be the evidence that Vu’s father was talking about.
Minh barely had time to feel excited before someone came up behind him and caught him.
“Minh! Minh!”, he heard Vu’s voice calling his name. Minh was tightly bound to someone’s shoulder. Then he was thrown to the ground. He realized there were many men around him. And next to him was Vu, who was also tied up and was looking worriedly at him. A woman standing directly in front of him was looking down at him with an expression of disgust. One of the men walked up to her and gave her the box Minh had found.
“Hey! That’s not yours!”, Minh shouted. The woman gave him one scary look, and he shut up immediately.
The way she talked, acted, and dressed screamed royalty. Minh suddenly realized who he might be talking to. “Well, well... A hidden room behind the bookcase, huh? No wonder we didn’t find anything after looking through every single book on those shelves. Clever. Exactly what I expect from Nguyen Trai”, the woman spoke calmly as she touched the golden decoration of the box. “He could have been so useful. It’s too bad he didn’t know what was the right thing to do. It was his fault everyone in his family had to die at Le Chi Vien”.
“Don’t talk about him like that!”, Vu spoke up. He was holding back his anger.
The queen glared at them and then grabbed their faces with her cold, cold hands, “Who are you? You think you can come here and take whatever you want? Everything in this palace belongs to me. Everything in this kingdom belongs to me!”
Just as the queen finished talking, Vu had managed to free himself from the ropes. Fighting with the queen’s men, he was also able to untie Minh. However, when he was off-guard, the queen herself stabbed his shoulder.
“Vu!” Minh caught him in his arms. Vu’s face turned white while his shirt turned red. He was in much pain.
The queen laughed evilly, “That’s what you get for challenging the queen. Did you really think you could win? You fools.” She shouted at her men, “Get up! Kill them both”, she commanded her men.
As her men stood up, they heard the sound of the footsteps of soldiers. They must have heard the commotion and came over. The queen was trying to get away with the box. Minh tried to snatch it back from the Queen.
“Minh! Watch out!”, Vu shouted faintly. One of the queen’s men hit Minh in the head.
Minh fell unconscious.
Chapter 4
“Hey man, are you okay!”, Minh woke up as someone was shaking his body. He looked around and saw a couple of road workers surrounding him, looking worried. “Are you okay?”
Minh realized that he was lying in the middle of the street, in his school uniform. He looked up and saw himself on the road from his school to his house. He looked around again and saw the road workers still waiting for an answer from him. He’s back to his time, exactly where he left.
“I’m okay... I need to go!” Minh quickly got up and ran home as fast as he could, a million questions in his head on the way.
“Minh! Why are you home so late?”, Minh’s mom complained the moment he got through the door.
“Sorry mom! Gotta go!”, he ignored his mother and ran up the stairs to his room. He had to know what happened to Vu. He turned on his computer and quickly searched for the only name he knew about that timeline.
‘Le Chi Vien’
“The Le Chi Vien crime was a historic incident from the 1400s. King Le Thanh Tong visited the ex-advisor Nguyen Trai at his house in Le Chi Vien to meet Nguyen Trai’s wife. After a night there, he passed away. The queen blamed Nguyen Trai for killing the king and sentenced his family to death. Only Nguyen Anh Vu, Nguyen Trai’s son, luckily escaped. Five years later, while working as a guard in the palace, Vu discovered his father’s letter exposing the queen. She was an evil person who would stop at nothing to make her son the king. Hearing the news, people who worked with Nguyen Trai in the past fought for his innocence and removed the queen. But, I mean, they could have done that in the first place. Then, Vu wouldn’t have had to wait so long to enter the palace and avenge his father… Anyway”, he coughed, “Nguyen Trai was proven innocent, and Nguyen Anh Vu became a general who contributed to the country as much as his father did. With this, I conclude my presentation.”
The class applauded enthusiastically. He returned to his seat in pride.
“I must say, Minh, I am very impressed by the details in your report. You did a good job summarizing it for today’s presentation. Ten out of ten for you!”, the teacher said.
His friends applauded him again. He was happy for both himself and Vu. Although Vu was centuries older than him, he would always be one of Minh’s best friends. His bro.
He didn’t hope to get hit in the head again and see Vu, though.
THE END