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Coastal Nations of the Southeast Seas

Pirates acted as local guides to lead raids into the coastal provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. At the beginning of the Jiaqing era 1796–1820, memorials to the throne from various provinces reported the capture of these bandits; among the captives were frequently found soldiers and generals from Annam The traditional Chinese name for northern Vietnam, along with official commissions, edicts, and seals belonging to "Brigadier Generals." After an imperial decree was issued to inquire with the authorities in Annam, they still did not claim that the King Nguyen Quang Toan, son of the rebel leader Nguyen Hue had prior knowledge of these activities.

Siam Thailand already harbored a long-standing grudge against the region of Quang Nam Central and Southern Vietnam, then controlled by the Tay Son rebels. It happened that Nguyen Phuc Anh The founding emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, known as Gia Long, a relative of the Le family, requested military aid from Siam. He succeeded in recapturing the Western Capital Gia Dinh, modern-day Ho Chi Minh City and captured the pirate leader Mo Fuguan and others, whom he then presented to China.

It was only then that China began to realize the crimes of the Nguyen father and son The Tay Son brothers, who had been currying favor with the Imperial Court while secretly inciting piracy. This occurred in the fourth year of the Jiaqing era 1799. By the seventh year 1802, Nguyen Phuc Anh further crushed the forces in Tonkin The northern region surrounding Hanoi and took full possession of Annam. He provided a detailed account of the origins of the conflict and his quest for revenge on behalf of the former Le dynasty.

His original fief of Nongnai Dong Nai, in the southern Mekong Delta was originally the land of the ancient Yueshang people A legendary southern kingdom mentioned in ancient Chinese records. Now, having annexed Annam, he requested to name his unified kingdom Vietnam. An imperial decree was issued enfeoffing him as the King of Vietnam.

Thus, the "New Nguyen" The Tay Son dynasty, who had usurped the Le family for over ten years, were in turn destroyed by the "Old Nguyen" The legitimate Nguyen Lords of the south. The one who now performs the duties of tribute and service to the Chinese Emperor is no longer the same Nguyen family as before.