The wind in Thăng Long that year was cool as silk, and temple drums echoed throughout the capital. Yet, amidst the ringing bells of peace, a distant thunder from the North could be faintly heard.
The Song Dynasty, a powerful empire, gazed towards the South with the ambition of swallowing the fertile land nestled between the sky and the clouds. From the remote border regions, the wind brought news that the Song troops were drilling, the map of Đại Việt was being redrawn, and General Quách Quỳ had been ordered to lead an army for conquest.
When the news reached Thiên An Palace, the court fell silent. The mandarins split into factions: some wished to defend the citadel, others sought peace. But amidst the heavy atmosphere, one man rose his posture solid as a bronze pillar, his voice resounding like the first thunder of the season:
"The enemy has not yet crossed, but people's hearts are already afraid; this is like the nation being lost before the citadel falls. To defend the nation, we must strike first! Tiên phát chế nhân (Pre-empting the enemy for control), that is the way of defending the nation for the wise."
That man was none other than Grand Commander Lý Thường Kiệt, the general who had fought a hundred battles but never yielded to any Celestial Court. The King, Lý Nhân Tông, was young, but in his eyes was a mountain-firm belief:
"I grant my general full authority. If the people are at peace, Heaven is at peace."
Lý Thường Kiệt knelt, raising his sword with an oath:
"I vow to use this body as the rampart, and this blood as the moat, so that the Việt people may sleep soundly amidst the bells of Thăng Long."
In December of 1075, the weather was bitterly cold, and snow covered the border forests. Lý Thường Kiệt led twenty thousand elite troops, dividing them into three columns. Horses galloped through the mist, and the battle drums reverberated like the Nghĩa Linh bronze drums.
The vanguard column led by Tôn Đản attacked Khâm Châu, Lý Kế Nguyên's column struck Liêm Châu, and the Grand Commander's main force marched directly into Ung Châu, a key fortress of the North.
For forty days, the citadel was besieged, arrows flew like rain, and swords flashed like lightning. On the forty first day, the Ung citadel burst into flames, the red smoke coloring the horizon. The Southern army sang the victory song:
"Strike so they know the Việt people shall not kneel!"
After that battle, the three regions were razed, and more than sixty thousand Song troops were annihilated. But the Grand Commander did not commit massacre he ordered his men to save the people, distribute rations to those who surrendered, and left a message carved on a border stone:
"The Việt people come not to kill, but to protect their own lives."
The Song Dynasty would not tolerate the humiliation. In 1076, the Song Emperor dispatched Great Generals Quách Quỳ and Triệu Tiết with 100,000 troops and thousands of warships to invade Giao Châu. Lý Thường Kiệt ordered his forces to retreat to the Như Nguyệt River (Cầu River), using the river as a moat and the people's will as the wall.
That night, the moon shone bright as a polished sword. Tens of thousands of torches reflected on the water, appearing as tens of thousands of ancestral souls watching over them.
The Grand Commander walked along the riverbank, looking at the local soldiers, whose hands trembled but whose eyes shone fiercely. He spoke softly, yet his voice resonated throughout the camp:
"To defend this river is to defend the lifeblood of the Fatherland. If I die, remember that my blood must flow South, never to drift back North."
On the third night, amidst the distant sound of battle drums, a voice reciting poetry suddenly rang out, booming like thunder, yet no one knew where it originated:
(Translation of the poem, often attributed to Lý Thường Kiệt):
The mountains and rivers of the South belong to the Emperor of the South,
This destiny is clearly written in the Celestial Book.
How dare you, barbarian invaders, trespass and commit violation,
You shall witness your defeat and utter destruction!
Upon hearing this, some generals shed tears, others laughed through their tears. A soldier asked:
"Commander, who wrote that poem?"
He merely pointed to the sky, and gently replied:
"It is not a man, but the rivers and mountains speaking on behalf of the Việt people."
At dawn, the mist covered the river surface. The sound of conch shells surged, and the Song army rushed to cross the river like a waterfall. But as they reached the middle of the current, the first ships crashed into the iron-tipped stakes hidden beneath the water.the bows shattered, and the water turned crimson. Lý Thường Kiệt commanded:
"Strike! Strike so the river sings, so the mountains know Đại Việt still stands!"
Việt archers rained arrows like torrential rain swords and spears clashed, shaking the sky and the bronze drums roared like thunder. For three days and three nights, the battle raged fiercely. Finally, the Song army was routed, and Quách Quỳ had to flee. The river water was stained red, but in the morning light, lotus blossoms still bloomed like the smiles of the ancestors.
Upon returning to Thăng Long, King Nhân Tông welcomed him. The Grand Commander knelt, offering his sword:
"Your servant prevailed not by the sword, but by the hearts of the people. The people's peace is Heaven's peace that is the true military achievement."
The King stood up, placing his hand on his shoulder:
"Across the Southern Sky, there is only one man like you."
From then on, the name Lý Thường Kiệt was carved onto stone steles, and the poem "Nam Quốc Sơn Hà" became the first Declaration of Independence of the Việt nation. The common people passed down the saying:
"The one who defends the nation with benevolence is the general for all generations."