38. Loi citadel

Long time ago, when Vietnam was called Dai Viet or Nam the recent king, Nam’s king, had a princess, Huyen Tran, who had perfect beauty that the king of neighbor country, Cham’s king, very wanted to get married with her. Cham’s king thought about entire day and also dreamed of her. He had ever asked soldiers to take luxurious presents to gift the princess but they didn’t get the result he wanted. Then a courtier muttered in his ears.
Loi citadel
“Only a way you can get the princess that you have to gift her father, Nam’s king, a part of your land”, said the courtier.
Cham’s king felt hesitating but then he decided did that he would presented the king of neighbor country 2 districts near the border, Ô and Rí. Other coutiers adviced him not to do that but he said   steely:
“Whole of this country, whole of this land was mine. Therefore, I can do whatever with it. Besides, marrying with the princess is a good thing that will make the relationship between us and our neighbor get better. We had had many fighting and I don’t want more. The wedding will stop all coming fighting.”
The present was too big for Nam’s king could refuse. Having Nam’s king agreement Cham’s king asked his courtiers to choose a day to pick up the princess to Cham. Date came a giant ship with thousands soldiers went toward Dai Viet, it had crossed many rivers before came Nam’s castle.
A wedding happened. All people were in happiness. Cham’s king was happy because he had gotten the princess. Nam’s king was happy because he had more land. People were happy because they was attended a luxurious party.
Then the princess followed Cham’s king to his country. Cham’s king very loved her he gifted her all things she wanted that made her very happy. But her happiness was only short time that Cham’s king had strange disease and after a short time he dead. That horrible news made the princess, young queen, heartbroken. Besides, following Cham culture the young queen had to go to pyre with the poor king that meant she had to die.
Nam’s king heard the news he ordered his servants to come and save his daughter’s life immediately. While people living in Cham was confused the servants took the young queen to seaside and pretended as though they made a ceremony then servants pulled her up a small boat and went to Dai Viet.
Young queen’s escape made the new king of Cham was very angry. He wanted Dai Viet returned Ô and Rí districts. Therefore, he forced soldiers occupied the districts though the transfer had almost done. Dai Viet, in other side, did not have any act.
One day, a soldier ridden hurriedly to report general’s Nam that general’s Cham, Lồi general, was coming with so many soldier to fight and now they were on hills in other side river. Doan general, general’s Nam, felt very worried because that time they was not enough strong to fight against. He thought for a long time and at last had an idea. He separated soldiers into groups and asked them to camp along riverside. In the day time soldiers flags around their camps as much as they could and in the night they fired torch that made a large area lighted up. They made loudly noises of drum beats, marching all day.  He also made a team of soldiers in uniform holding polish swords marched around a mountain which stood at riverside everyday.
Waiting for a long time, Cham’s general asked soldiers to sneak. The soldier came back with bad news
“Nam’s soldiers are grouping. Though they have covered whole riverside more and more soldiers still continued crossed mountain to group in the riverside”, reported the soldiers.
After hearing Cham’s general was frightened but he went to fight following his king’s words now the fighting had not happened he couldn’t come back. Therefore, he kept soldiers motionless.
Few days later, Nam’s general ordered a soldier came to Cham’s camps to have an agreement. Of course they had an agreement that Nam’s soldiers and Cham’s soldiers would build 2 citadels from night to the next morning. Cham’s soldiers would build a citadel and Nam’s would build another. The win would belong to soldiers who had bigger and higher citadel and course the loser had to leave the land without fighting.
Cham’s soldiers started immediately. They worked in hurry and so fast. Early morning they had built a citadel with 4 meters high that made they were happy but no long. Drum beats were appeared. They looked toward the noises, the other riverside, front of their faces now was a magnificent citadel with white, 10 meters   high walls and red tile roofs. It was covered by millions uniform soldiers who were ready to fight. They also couldn’t count how many horses and elephants were standing in the citadel. They were frightened completely. Cham’s general, Lồi, couldn’t hide his surprise and he ordered soldiers went quietly.  
Nam’s general took victorious news to the king though they didn’t fight. The intelligent had a wonderful idea that whole citadel they had built was made from bamboo, horses and elephants also were made from straws then they painted them. That had made their enemies in other riverside were frightened.
Now dạy, the relic of citadel which was built by Cham’s soldier still existed. It located at Thua Thien – Hue, Vietnam. It was called Lồi citadel following name of the Cham’s general.
The end.🎭🎭🎭
 "Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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