He was immediately faced by a rebellion concerning Prince Hong Bao, which failed, and led to the brother's arrest. He would have faced death as a traitor to the country but for the intervention of the Empress-Dowager Tu Du. Emperor Tu' Du'c was always concerned with virtue and honored his mother, so the death sentance was lessened to life in prison, however, he later died of suicide. Despite being known far and wide for his talent and intelligence, even being called the most well educated monarch in all of Asia, Emperor Tu' Du'c had to face many problems, different from those faced by any previous Vietnamese ruler.
Emperor Tu' Du'c has been written about from a variety of points of view, some critical, but others hailing him as the example of what an ideal king was supposed to be, who was unfortunate enough to live during a time when knowledge of modern warfare was counted higher than great knowledge of character and virtue. French incursions into Viet-Nam were constant, even using the cloak of religious righteousness to stir up trouble against the Vietnamese nation. Knowing the superior strength of France, Emperor Tu' Du'c was always wise enough to wait for some emergency in Europe before taking action in his own country, to slow the response time of his enemies. Some have since attacked the Emperor as being intolerant of Christianity, but this is disproven by his friendship with men like Nguyen Trong To, a Christian member of the court, who was even allowed to go to Europe to meet the Christian Pope and bring religious books back to Viet-Nam by Emperor Tu' Du'c. The only thing he had no tolerance for was aggression against his country and attacks against his people.
When the French invaded, Emperor Tu' Du'c responded by building up the first modern military system in Viet-Nam. However, the war was difficult considering that Viet-Nam had long valued good character and the art of literature above the art of making war. The Vietnamese army put up a heroic defense and seemed to be close to beating the odds and winning a victory against the French military. However, at this crucial time, a rebellion broke out which forced the Emperor to give up several provinces in the south in order to move his armies north. The French gained a foothold in the country and continued to expand their power and influence over the years.
Although the Emperor had many wives, he had been plagued by illness since he was a child and was unable to have any children of his own. To secure the succession he adopted three nephews and appointed regents to govern the country after his death. Despite his careful planning, this was to be a major problem in the future and cause 1883 to be known as the 'Year of the Three Kings'. After a great deal of sorrow and sacrifice for his country and people Emperor Tu' Du'c died on July 19, 1883. The eunuchs with him at his death bed said that he cursed the invaders of his country with his last breath. From the rebellion of his brother until his death his primary concern had been fighting off the foreign invaders of his country and securing their independence. Given the current crisis in Viet-Nam, the edict of Emperor Tu' Du'c regarding the French siezure of Cochinchine is still relevant today:
"Never has an era seen such sadness, never a year more anguish. Above me, I fear the edicts of heaven. Below, the tribulations of the people trouble my days and nights. Deep in my heart, I tremble and blush, finding neither words nor actions to help my subjects...Evil must be suppressed and goodness sought. The wise must offer their counsel, the strong their force, the rich their wealth, and all those with skill should devote them to the needs of the army and the kingdom. Let us, together, mend our errors and rebuild...Alas! the centuries are fraught with pain, and man is burdened by fear and woe. Thus we express our feelings, that they may be known to the world. Imperial writ. Respect this."
