早年事跡

受封藩王

黎思誠生於1442年（大寶三年）農曆七月二十日，父親是黎太宗皇帝，母親是婕妤吳氏（光淑皇太后）。1445年（太和三年），黎思誠獲皇兄黎仁宗封為平原王，在京師昇龍學習，「日與諸王同經筵肆學」。

早年的黎思誠，在學習當中已展現才華，越南史籍《大越史記全書·本紀實錄》稱他「惟以古今經籍聖賢義理為娛，天性生知，而夙夜未嘗釋卷，天才高邁，而製作尤所留情，樂善好賢，亹亹不倦」，深得黎仁宗及宣慈太后（仁宗之母）的欣賞，「宣慈太后視若己生，仁宗推為難弟」。及至長兄黎宜民於1459年殺仁宗自立為帝，改封黎思誠為嘉王。

被擁為帝

黎宜民登基稱帝後，殺戮舊臣，其施政得不到民眾支持，因而出現反對勢力。1460年（天興二年）農曆六月，廷臣阮熾（又作黎熾）、丁列（又作黎列）等合謀，鏟除黎宜民及其親信。

當帝位懸空之際，阮熾等人商議新君人選。有關情況，《大越史記全書·本紀實錄》提供了兩種說法，一說是黎宜民派系被推翻後，阮熾等一眾廷臣便擁立黎思誠為帝。另一說則是廷臣最初想迎立恭王黎克昌，但恭王堅拒，便改立嘉王為帝。黎思誠即位後，聽信讒言，致使恭王被殺。

六月初八日，黎思誠即皇帝位，改年號為光順，並隨即採取措施安撫人心，如大赦天下，贈與官員田地，又懲處曾協助黎宜民奪位的禁軍將領黎得寧。

對內施政

改革官制

黎聖宗對原有的朝廷架構，有所調整。後黎朝開創後，沿襲陳朝官制，設左右相國，下有禮部、吏部、內閣密院、中書、黃門、三省門下等部門，黎宜民時期設立六部（吏部、戶部、禮部、兵部、工部、刑部）及六科（中書科、海科、東科、西科、南科、北科）。黎聖宗保留六部六科制度，於1465年（光順六年），改中書科為吏科、海科為戶科、東科為禮科、南科為兵科、西科為刑科、北科為工科，作用是「審駁百司」，屬監察機構，負責修正及駁回六部過失，每科以「都給事中」和「給事中」為首長。黎聖宗還增設六寺，分別是大理寺、太常寺、光祿寺、太僕寺、鴻臚寺、尚寶寺，各寺官則有寺卿、少卿、寺丞。

聖宗又參照中國官制，讓文武官員擁有一定的土地，並給予歲俸錢。如貪污者必加嚴懲。此外，制定了官員退休之制，為官至65歲，為吏至60歲，便准許退休。

改革地方政制

後黎朝初年，全國領土分成五道，但轄地較廣，管理不易，政令難以下傳，所以黎聖宗將五道分成十二承宣，區小易治。十二承宣分別為：清華（初名清化）、乂安、順化、山南（初名天長）、海陽（初名南策）、山西（初名國威）、京北（初名北江）、安邦、興化、宣光、太原（曾名寧朔）、諒山。每道設都司（設有正副都總兵，管軍務）、承司（設有承政正副使，管政務）、憲司（設有憲察正副使，管司法）等架構。又設監察御史，查察各道官員工作，以防違紀行為。

1470年（洪德元年）攻破占城國後，又將十二承宣改為十三處，即清華、乂安、山南、山西、京北、海陽、太原、宣光、興化、諒山、安邦、順化、廣南（原屬占城）。處以下的地方行政單位為府、縣、州。府縣以下則為鄉、坊、社、村、莊、冊、峒、原、場。在十三處當中的險要之地，設守御經略使一職，負責防務。

對邊境少數民族的管理，黎聖宗設立團練、守禦、知州、大知州等職，是為少數民族區域的酋長。有功於黎氏朝廷的酋長，可封賜官爵，如司空平章事、上將軍、大將軍等等。

整頓財政及金融

黎聖宗時規定人丁稅，每人每年交錢八陌。此外有田地稅、土地稅、桑洲稅，按畝繳納，而各種田土都分作一、二、三等。

因應到稅制方面，除用穀物、絲等實物繳納，聖宗又用錢繳稅，加上當時農、工業得到長足發展，經濟繁榮，貨幣亦須運用到社會各個領域上。黎聖宗政府便重視鑄造貨幣，他認為：「泉貨之用，貴於上下流通，府庫之儲，貴於長久無幣」，因此牢牢掌握貨幣的鑄造權和發行權，每年都鑄造一定數量貨幣在市面流通。

在光順年間（1460年至1469年），黎聖宗鑄造大量的「光順通寶」。該貨幣素質甚好，然而因有奸商及不法之徒私下利用民間銅器及舊銅錢，摻合其他金屬，以偷工減料的方式，鑄造素質粗劣的「光順通寶」偽幣，以牟取暴利，故此黎聖宗下令「嚴禁廢棄銅錢」、「偷鑄銅錢者治罪」，以及「禁止攜帶偽幣」。

1470年，聖宗改元洪德（1470年至1497年）。改元以後，聖宗政府便鑄「洪德通寶」。該貨幣素質較高，被貨幣研究者譽為「越南有史以來鑄造方孔圓錢最為成熟的時期」，「是越南錢幣的優秀代表」。

調理農務

對於農業生產，聖宗相當重視，經常下諭，各府縣官員務必竭盡全力，指導百姓勤於農務。聖宗又設置河堤官及勸農官，主理國內農業事務；下令戶部及各地承政官員，向朝廷上報荒地數目，以便讓各府縣政府督促百姓開闢耕種。

黎聖宗設立了「屯田」四十二所，委任相關官員，管理開墾之事，以減少出現飢饉之患。

完善刑法

在越南法律史裡，黎聖宗頒行了封建時期較重要的一部法典──《洪德法典》（又稱《洪德律例》、《黎朝刑律》）。該法典以中國唐代律令為藍本，結合越南自身風俗習慣及舊法而成，於1470年（洪德元年）頒行。它的內容，包括刑法、婚姻、家庭法、民事法、訴訟法等等。此一法典成為後黎朝的法律基礎，一直沿用到18世紀後期。

民生風俗

對於當時的越南風俗，黎聖宗加以改革及規範化。例如，當時越南人民崇奉佛教，常修建寺廟，聖宗乃下令禁止修建新寺廟，應用錢財和功夫去做有益之事；當時喪、婚禮俗，多有違反常情之舉，如辦喪事之家大擺筵席、演戲唱歌以作觀娛，聖宗便禁止辦喪事時演戲唱歌；婚俗裡則有收取娉禮之後，過三四年後才迎娶新婦至夫家，聖宗下令納聘後便要擇日行迎親禮，次日見父母，第三日見於祠堂。

聖宗希望全面確保封建秩序和道德規範，聖宗又制定《二十四條倫理》，作為對民眾道德的指引。

聖宗又設法使全國民眾免受疾疫之苦，乃成立「濟生堂」，收容病人。如當某地爆發疫情，則派官員帶藥前往醫治。

崇儒排佛

黎聖宗從即皇帝位時起，就施行文教政策，當時的碑銘文獻記載他「即政之初，未遑他務，首臨大學，次定賢科」。儒學便是聖宗重視的一環，採取儒家思想和經典作為治國工具。聖宗以德治的方式，規定科舉制中的鄉試由「有德之士」應試，凡不睦、不忠、不孝、不義、亂倫者，雖有具有大志及學識，亦不准應試。在會試上，以《論語》、《孟子》、《五經》等儒家典籍的內容出題。對於國家教育機構國子監，聖宗置《五經》博士，各人專治一經，教授監生。為表尊孔，聖宗下令修建文廟大成殿、更服殿、明倫殿、東西講堂等，用於祭祀孔子。此外，聖宗還制定三年喪禮，以表明儒家中的忠孝，是仁之本。

對於當時盛行的佛教，黎聖宗採取壓抑政策，將之列入社會最下層。凡寺田、寺院領地，均收歸國有，令大批僧侶還俗，剩下的亦必須參加佛教經典考試，合格者方可繼續為僧。

編撰史地文籍

黎聖宗對於越南本國史相當重視，據後黎朝史官范公著所說，這是由於聖宗抱著「拓土開疆，創法定製」的需要，所以「尤能留意史籍」。其中較重要的有聖宗於1479年（洪德十年）下令史官吳士連編纂的《大越史記全書》（十五卷），這次編纂的內容始於傳疑時代裡的鴻龐氏，至黎太祖為止，到後黎朝的中晚期，該書再獲其他史官的增補編訂。

此外，黎聖宗政府還有其他歷史著作，如申仁忠、杜潤等奉命撰修《天南餘暇集》，一百卷，敍述聖宗時的重要事件和刑律；聖宗又編《親征記事》一書，記錄了親征占城、老撾及各芒族部落的事跡。

在地理典籍方面，黎聖宗以前，越南未有較完善的本國地圖。聖宗下令，各地官員踏勘治所內的山川險要地帶，並將古今事跡，繪圖詳述，然後呈送戶部，是為當時的全國輿圖。

增強軍備

黎聖宗為大展拳腳，因而整頓武備。曾下令國內各地區的軍事長官，要勤於向部隊教習戰陣，訓練士卒，保持戰鬥能力。明史也記載道當期黎聖宗「灝雄桀，自負國富兵強，輒坐大」。

聖宗又整頓軍隊架構，設五府軍，分別為中軍府、南軍府、北軍府、東軍府、西軍府。每府有六衞，每衞有五或六所，每所軍隊人數約為四百人。五府之軍，合共約六七萬人。黎聖宗又頒令練習水陣的軍令三十一條、象陣軍令三十二條（或作二十二條）、馬陣軍令二十七條、步陣軍令四十二條。

為提拔軍事人才，聖宗規定武試三年一次，將士中試者獲賞，落弟者受罰，使人人積極從事武備。

對外舉動

對明關係

黎聖宗被擁立為帝後，便尋求中國明朝認同其國君地位。1461年（光順二年），聖宗以「安南國故王黎濬弟」的身份，遣使到北京要求冊封。明廷乃於1462年（光順三年），派錢溥、王豫為正、副使節，封聖宗為「安南國王」，保持了中越兩國間的宗藩關係。

但在黎聖宗時期，因邊界糾紛而與明朝出現外交風波。1468年（光順九年），越方「聚兵千餘，立柵挑塹，佔據廣西憑祥縣地方」。對此，明廷命邊疆官吏加緊邊防，「計議長策，嚴督所屬，整兵防禦」。此後又發生邊民犯事的問題。1471年（洪德二年），中國廣東官員向明廷報告：「有交人（指越南人）駕使雙桅大船，越過海面，偷撈珠池，劫掠客貨。」明廷乃向黎聖宗政府要求「禁國人勿越境為寇」。黎聖宗回覆自己已「差人方詢境內，拘集海壖官吏，里老究問」，但未能查獲結果，唯有希望明廷「俯賜恩憐」。

1472年（洪德三年），廣西的上凍崗隴委、龍州等地，被越方民眾霸佔土地，須由明廷派員到廣西邊境處理土地糾紛，「履勘明白，設二界址，永為邊守」。但黎聖宗不滿「廣西會勘官何多」，認為「我尺山寸河豈宜拋棄」，又派員與明朝官員交涉，叮囑應採取強硬態度，「勿許漸侵，如他不從，尚可差官北使，詳其曲直」。1474年（洪德五年），越方在雲南邊境「以軍民嘯取竊掠為詞，輒調夷兵萬眾越境，攻擾邊寨，驚散居民」。對此，明廷採兩手準備，一方面下令雲南、廣東、廣西等地官員加強邊備，「各守境土，以備不虞」，另一方面透過外交途徑，向黎聖宗聲明「不許輒調夷兵，越境侵擾，驚疑良民」。

此後，中國邊境仍有越方意圖入侵的警報。1480年（洪德十一年），雲南官員向明廷報稱「今復聞（後黎朝）練兵，欲攻八百(八百媳婦)。內侵之患，不可不慮」。明廷為此向黎聖宗政府交涉，黎聖宗反駁自己並不知道八百是在何處，「八百地之所在且不知，況欲往征之？」明廷只好下令雲南治下的車里、元江、木邦（今屬緬甸）、廣南、孟艮（今屬緬甸）等地傣族土司官員互為保障。1483年（洪德十四年），雲南臨安府建水州又發生中越民眾衝突，「累相爭訟」。明廷對黎聖宗政府多次騷擾邊境，加以得悉占城被聖宗所滅，相當不滿，曾向越方使節提出嚴正指責：「朝廷（指明廷）一旦赫然震怒，天兵壓境，如永樂故事，得無悔乎？」經此指責，黎聖宗政府才「自是有所畏」

，中越間的邊境磨擦乃告一段落。

攻破占城

黎聖宗在位的早期，便與南鄰占城國（即占婆國）發生磨擦。占城亦為中國明朝朝貢國，因而要求明人參與交涉越占紛爭。據中國史籍《明實錄》記載，明天順八年，（1464年，光順五年），占城王槃羅茶全遣使入明，投訴「安南國（指後黎朝）侵擾本國，求索白象等物」，並「乞照永樂年間，遣使安撫，置立界牌碑石，以免侵犯，杜絕仇釁」。明廷希望越占兩國保持和平，答覆占城使節「謹守禮法，保固境土，以禦外侮，勿輕構禍」。但未能平息越占之間的爭鬥。1467年（光順八年）農曆三月，占城遣使到黎氏朝廷，黎聖宗乘機命人向占城使節，可否按照「事大之禮」向後黎朝朝貢，以索取犀、象、寶貨等物，但占人不從。

此後，越占關係日益緊張。1469年（光順十年）三月，占城出軍進攻後黎朝治下的化州（在今順化）。黎聖宗乃向明廷申訴「屢被攻圍化州」，坦言要「飭兵與戰」，明廷雖勸諭越方「解怨息爭」，但越占的交戰已如箭在弦。1470年（洪德元年）八月，占城王槃羅茶全親率水步象馬十萬攻化州，化州守將告急。然而占城國卻於此時出現內鬨，「茶全為人凶暴淫政，慢神虐民，占人民叛」，聖宗看準這一點，乃於十一月，徵集軍隊二十六萬人，親征占城。進入占城邊境前，聖宗作出周密部署，「詔順化軍出海以試舟師」，演練水軍，又「慮占國山川有未易知，乃命順化土酋阮武圖其險易以進」，深入敵國前先了解地形要道。在戰事裡，越軍行進相當順利，1471年（洪德二年）正月進入占城邊境時，得到占城官員蓬莪沙、琴績、道貳等「進獻方物」及投效。其後越軍節節勝利，三月初一日，攻破占城國都闍槃，生擒國王槃羅茶全而回。

當占城被攻破後，該國將領齋亞麻弗菴（或即越南典籍裡的逋持）在賓童龍（即藩籠）自立為王，然而須向後黎朝入貢。此外，黎聖宗把所得的闍槃、大占、古壘等占城故地，設置廣南道以作統治，轄三府九縣，選當地十五歲以上聰明好學者，錄取為生徒，教以禮義。但占城遺族仍經過一番掙扎，槃羅茶全之弟槃羅茶悅（又作槃羅茶遂）逃入山中，派人到明朝要求冊封為王。聖宗得悉後旋即派兵，擒獲茶悅。明廷雖呼籲黎聖宗歸還占城故地，但聖宗不從。

征討川壙

1479年（洪德十年），黎聖宗發動對川壙王國（孟潘，越史稱盆蠻、盆忙）的征討。川壙在之前向越南朝廷要求內附，因而改為歸合州，但該地酋長仍可世襲管治權，黎氏朝廷派人員駐守監察。聖宗時，川壙獲得瀾滄王國的協助，驅逐後黎朝駐守人員，以圖反抗。聖宗出兵征討，殺死酋長琴公（Khamkong），川壙餘眾只得請降。戰後，聖宗封琴冬（Khamthorn）為宣慰大使，並設置官員管治。

進攻老撾

1479年（洪德十年），因川壙王國反叛黎氏朝廷，與瀾滄王國聯合，侵擾越南西部邊境。聖宗便命黎壽域、鄭公路、黎廷彥、黎弄、黎仁孝等率兵，分五路從乂安、清化、興安等地反攻，追擊瀾滄軍隊，結果得勝而回。據越南史籍所載，越軍在此役中「入老撾城獲寶物，其國王遁走，虜其民，畧地至長沙河（或作金沙河）界，夾偭國（或作緬甸國）南邊」，亦即從老撾人手上奪取不少財物、人口和土地。

文學修養

黎聖宗有意推動文學。1494年（洪德二十五年），聖宗成立「騷壇會」，該會有成員二十八人，包括聖宗本人及其近臣，稱為「騷壇二十八宿」，聖宗自號「騷壇元帥」。該會成員寫下不少詩篇，主要內容是頌讚君主及朝廷的政績，以漢文或字喃創作。當中較重要的作品，為漢文寫成的《瓊苑九歌》，由聖宗依九題寫詩九章，再由申仁忠、阮仲懿等二十八人依韻奉和。另外又如《洪德國音詩集》，收有詩約三百首，內容為吟詠天地、吟詠大自然、抒發人們情感、描繪各種物品、清閒逍遙的自我吟唱等等。

黎聖宗的「騷壇會」，帶有政治色彩，學者王曉平批評它是「皇帝御製，近臣無不稱好；近臣唱和，下屬莫不叫絕」，但亦認同它「對漢詩藝術水準的提高，對詩歌的鑽研和提倡，確實造成了漢詩文興盛一時的局面，從長遠來說，文學風氣的形成對於民族詩歌、民族文學的崛起，也具有良好的促進作用」。

去世

1496年（洪德二十七年）農曆十一月二十七日，黎聖宗得風腫疾，次年（1497年，洪德二十八年）正月三十日病逝於寶光宮（又作寶光殿）。時年五十六歲。關於聖宗病死的內情，據當時史官武瓊所說，是由於聖宗女寵甚多，到患有重病時，長期失寵的長樂皇后在此時才獲許可為聖宗侍病，但皇后竟用毒塗手，摸聖宗發瘡處，於是聖宗病情加劇。

1498年（景統元年）農曆三月初八日，繼任的黎憲宗安葬聖宗於藍京昭陵，並由朝臣申仁忠、覃文禮、劉興孝等撰文，刻於碑石，「以昭先帝之業於來世」。

親屬

父母

• 父黎太宗。

• 母光淑皇太后吳氏。

※以上各項，見《大越史記全書·本紀實錄·黎紀·聖宗淳皇帝上》，東京大學東洋文化研究所，639頁。

兄弟

• 兄黎宜民，1459年奪位黎仁宗帝位，1460年被朝臣捕殺，立黎聖宗。

• 兄黎邦基。

• 兄黎克昌，生于1440年卒于1476年，黎太宗封為新平王，後來為恭王。《大越史記全書·本紀實錄》提到，黎宜民倒台後，朝臣一度欲立黎克昌為帝，但黎克昌推卻，便立黎聖宗，後來黎聖宗聽信讒言，黎克昌死。

※以上各項，見《大越史記全書·本紀實錄·黎紀·太宗文皇帝》及《聖宗淳皇帝上》，東京大學東洋文化研究所，606及640頁。

妻妾

• 徽嘉皇太后阮氏恆

• 柔徽皇太后馮琰貴

• 明妃范氏

• 敬妃阮氏

• 貴妃阮氏

• 修容阮氏

• 才人阮氏

子女

黎聖宗生皇子十四人：

• 長子黎憲宗黎鏳。

• 次子梁王黎銓。

• 三子宋王黎鏦，1466年生，母明妃范氏。

• 四子唐王黎鎬，1466年生。

• 五子建王黎鑌，母柔懿皇太后。（黎昭宗追崇為德宗建皇帝）

• 六子福王黎錚。

• 七子演王黎鏓。

• 八子廣王黎鐰，1471年生，母敬妃阮氏。

• 九子臨王黎鏘。

• 十子應王黎。

• 十一子義王黎。

• 十二子鎮王黎鋞。

• 十三子肇王黎鋑。

• 十四子荊王黎鍵。

此外，黎聖宗生皇女二十人：

• 長女嘉淑公主黎氏清鐩

• 次女懿德公主黎氏瑩鈺

• 第三女瑞華公主黎氏明鏡，母敬妃

• 第四女昭徽公主黎氏徹鏟

• 第五女韶陽公主黎氏炳䥵

• 女景平公主黎氏寶鉉

• 女瓊芳公主黎氏麗鏗

• 女春明公主黎氏蘭鏜

• 女壽梅公主黎氏錦鏘

• 第十二女錦榮公主黎氏美錞，母敬妃

• 女黎氏夫銃，聖宗去世時年幼尚未受封

• 女黎氏澄錉，聖宗去世時年幼尚未受封

• 女黎氏珠錊，聖宗去世時年幼尚未受封

• 女黎氏精鋺，聖宗去世時年幼尚未受封

評價

黎聖宗本人，曾向朝臣評論自己的統治：「朕有二失，一曰令施為違道幹譽，二曰素尸在位，擾亂天工，雖內外庶職，難以枚舉，且以其尤者而言，都督黎練木偶土人，安可加以圓冠方屨哉。太師丁列，太傅黎念職璧公，不聞燮理陰陽，經邦靈亦未甞進一君子，退一小人，不幾於羊裘逍遙之誚乎。」

在越南，後世一般對聖宗有相當高的評價。撰寫《大越史記全書·本紀實錄》的史官讚揚他「創制立度，文物可觀，拓土開疆，昄章孔厚，真英雄才略之主，雖漢之武帝、唐之太宗，莫能過矣」，但同時批評他「土木之興，逾於古制，兄弟之義，失於友于，此其短也」。著名史家武瓊認為他「崇尚儒術，振拔英才，取士之科不一而定，三年大比之舉，自帝始之。其得人之盛，振古有光，文武並用，各隨所長，故能修政立事，制禮作樂，號令文章，煥然可述。……又慮占寇世嘗為吾患，今日不剪，將何其為，乃南征茶全，而復其封疆，西拔雅蘭，而掃其巢穴，山蠻有徵，而威揚乎北，盆忙（又作盆蠻）有徵，而地闢乎西」。到近現代，史家陳重金（又作陳仲金）稱讚聖宗「改革政治，興辦教育，整頓武備，平定占城、寮國，拓土開疆，使當時我南國更加文明昌盛，顯赫於一方。自古至今，我國從未達到如此之強盛」。

中國學者郭振鐸、張笑梅稱黎聖宗是「安南黎氏王朝中較有作為的帝王」，指出他「好大喜功，野心勃勃」，其建樹除了對內文治和對外武功，又「發展工農商業，獎勵中越文化交流」。

注釋

Early life

Lê Thánh Tông's birth name is Lê Hạo (黎灝), courtesy name Tư Thành (思誠), pseudonym Đạo Am chủ nhân (道庵主人), rhymed name Tao Đàn nguyên súy (騷壇元帥), formal title Thiên Nam động chủ (天南洞主), was the fourth son of emperor Lê Thái Tông and his consort Ngô Thị Ngọc Dao. He was the fourth grandson of Lê Lợi, the half-brother of Lê Nhân Tông and it is likely that his mother and consort Nguyễn Thị Anh (the mother of Lê Nhân Tông) were related (cousins or perhaps sisters). When Hạo was three years old, he was brought to the royal palace and was educated just like his half brother, the ruling emperor Lê Nhân Tông, and other brothers, Lê Khắc Xương and Lê Nghi Dân in Hanoi. When his elder half brother, Lê Nghi Dân, staged a coup and killed the emperor and the queen in late 1459, Prince Hạo was spared. Nghi Dân proclaimed himself emperor. Nine months later, a second counter-coup against Lê Nghi Dân led by two military leaders Nguyễn Xí and Đinh Liệt successfully carried out, and Nghi Dân was killed in the royal palace. The plotters asked Prince Hạo to become the new emperor and he accepted. Two days after Lê Nghi Dân』s death, Lê Hạo was proclaimed emperor.

The leaders of the counter-coup which removed and killed Nghi Dân were two of the last surviving friends and aides of Lê Lợi - Nguyễn Xí and Đinh Liệt. The pair had been out of power since the 1440s, but they still commanded respect due to their association with the dynasty's founder, Lê Lợi. The new emperor appointed these men to the highest positions in his new government: Nguyễn Xí became one of the emperor's councilors, and Đinh Liệt was gifted command over the royal army of Đại Việt.

Reign

Bureaucratic reforms

Lê Thánh Tông introduced reforms designed to replace the Thanh Hoá oligarchy of Dai Viet's southern region with a corps of bureaucrats selected through the Confucian civil service examinations. Following the Chinese model, he divided the government into six ministries: Finance, Rites, Justice, Personnel, Army, and Public Works. Nine grades of rank were set up for both the civil administration and the military. A Board of Censors was set up with royal authority to monitor governmental officials and report exclusively to the emperor. However, governmental authority did not extend all the way to the village level. The villages were ruled by their own councils.

In 1469, all of Dai Viet was mapped and a full census, listing all the villages in the kingdom, was taken. Around this time, the country was divided into 13 dao (provinces). Each was administrated by a Governor, a Judge, and the local army commander. Thánh Tông also ordered that a new census should be taken every six years. Other public works that were undertaken included building and repair of granaries, using the army to rebuild and repair irrigation systems after floods, and sending out doctors to areas afflicted by outbreaks of disease. Even though the emperor, at 25, was relatively young, he had already restored Dai Viet's stability, which was a marked contrast from the turbulent times marking the reigns of the two emperors before him. By 1471, the kingdom employed more than 5,300 officials (0.1 percent of the population) into the bureaucrat army, equally divided between the court and the provinces, with at least one supervising officer every three villages.

A national-wide census was conducted in 1490, reported approximately 8,000 village-level jurisdictions throughout the country including the thirty-six urban wards that lay between the royal compound and the Red River at Dong Kinh, the only city in the country; with the total population was approximately 4.4 million people, the Red River delta had been the most densely inhabited region of Southeast Asia in the early-modern era.

The new government proved to be effective and represented a successful adaptation of the Chinese Confucian system of government outside of China. However, following the deaths of Thánh Tông and of his son and successor, Lê Hiến Tông (r. 1498–1504), this new model of government crashed not once but twice in the next three following centuries.

Legal reforms and a new national law

In 1483 Lê Thánh Tông created a new code for Đại Việt, called the Hồng Đức Code, which is Vietnam's National Treasures and is kept in the National Library in form of woodblocks No A.314.

The new laws were "based on Chinese law but included distinctly Vietnamese features, such as recognition of the higher position of women in Vietnamese society than in Chinese society. Under the new code, parental consent was not required for marriage, and daughters were granted equal inheritance rights with sons. U.S. Library of Congress Country Studies – Vietnam

Economic policy

During the reign of Thánh Tông, Vietnamese export porcelains from Hải Dương kilns were found as far as West Asia. Trowulan, capital of Majapahit, has yielded numerous Vietnamese ceramic products of the fifteenth century. However, he took an unfavorable view toward international trade, and emphasized for a national self-sustaining economy based on agriculture.

In 1461 he warned the provincial officials not to pursue the insignificant trade/commerce to ensure internal welfare and prohibit foreigners from entering the kingdom. He also introduced a marketplaces code to standardize weights and measures. In 1469 he nationalized gunpowder and weapons. After the defeat of Champa in 1471, he sent large groups of ethnic Vietnamese, including prisoners and criminals, to settle in the new conquered territories. Lands were distributed fair equally, bureaucrats and military garrisons were set up to help people in the new provinces. The fall of Champa enabled the Vietnamese to monopolize Central Highlands' products which most desired in international markets. At the end of 15th century, Vietnamese civilization had reached its zenith in prosperity.

Education policy

Thánh Tông encouraged the spread of Confucian values throughout the kingdom by having temples of literature built in all the provinces. There, Confucius was venerated and classic works on Confucianism could be found. He also halted the building of any new Buddhist or Taoist temples and ordered that monks were not to be allowed to purchase any new land.

During his reign, Vietnamese Confucian scholarship had reached its golden era, with over 501 tiến sĩ (royal scholars) graduated, out of the total 2,896 tiến sĩ graduated from 1076 to 1911. In 1460, he ordered Confucian scholar Ngô Sĩ Liên (1401–1489) to compile an official national history book, and in 1479 the chronicle Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư was finished, and was presented to the emperor.

Foreign relations

Ming China

During the reign of Thánh Tông, two related events put the Ming tributary system to the test. The first was the final destruction of Champa in 1471, and the other, the invasion of Laos between 1479 and 1481. After destroying Champa in 1471, the Vietnamese informed the Ming court that the fall of Champa's ruling house had come about as "a result of civil war." In 1472, as Vietnamese pirates attacked Chinese and merchant ships in Hainan and the coast of Guangzhou, the Ming emperor called on Thánh Tông to end such activities. The court of Đại Việt denied its people would do such things.

Article 344 of the Nguyen dynasty code and Article 305 of the Le dynasty code both forbade self-castration and castration of Vietnamese men. Self-castration of Vietnamese men was banned by Lê Thánh Tông, the emperor, in 1464.

The Vietnamese under Emperor Le Thanh Tong cracked down on foreign contacts and enforced an isolationist policy. A large amount of trade between Guangdong (Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan) and Vietnam happened during this time. Early accounts recorded that the Vietnamese captured Chinese whose ships had blown off course and detained them. Young Chinese men were selected by the Vietnamese for castration to become eunuch slaves to the Vietnamese. It has been speculated by modern historians that Chinese who were captured and castrated by the Vietnamese were involved in regular trade between China and Vietnam instead of being blown off course, and that they were punished after a Vietnamese crackdown on trade with foreign countries.

A 1499 entry in the Ming Shilu recorded that thirteen Chinese men from Wenchang including a young man named Wu Rui were captured by the Vietnamese after their ship was blown off course while traveling from Hainan to Guangdong's Qin subprefecture (Qinzhou), after which they ended up near the coast of Vietnam, in the 1460s, during the Chenghua Emperor's rule (1464–1487). Twelve of them were enslaved to work as agricultural laborers, while the youngest Chinese man, Wu Rui (吳瑞) was selected by the Vietnamese court for castration since he was the only young man in among the thirteen and he became a eunuch at the Vietnamese imperial palace in Thang Long for nearly one fourth of a century. After years of serving the Vietnamese as a eunuch slave in the palace, he was promoted to a position with real power after the death of the Le Thanh Tong in 1497 to a military position in northern Vietnam as military superintendent since his service in the palace was apparently valued by the Vietnamese. However the Lạng Sơn guard soldier Dương Tam tri (Yang Sanzhi) (楊三知) told him of an escape route back to China and Wu Rui escaped to Longzhou after walking for 9 days through the mountains. The local ethnic minority Tusi chief Wei Chen took him into custody, overruling objections from his family who wanted to send him back to Vietnam. Vietnam found out about his escape and sent an agent to buy Wu Rui back from Wei Chen with 100 Jin in payment since they were scared that Wu Rui would reveal Vietnamese state secrets to China. Wei Chen planned to sell him back to the Vietnamese but told them the amount they were offering was too little and demanded more however before they could agree on a price, Wu was rescued by the Pingxiang magistrate Li Guangning and then was sent to Beijing to work as a eunuch in the Ming palace at the Directorate of Ceremonial (silijian taijian 司禮監太監).. The Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư records that in 1467 in An Bang province of Dai Viet (now Quảng Ninh Province) a Chinese ship blew off course onto the shore. The Chinese were detained and not allowed to return to China as ordered by Le Thanh Tong. This incident may be the same one where Wu Rui was captured.

Several Malay envoys from the Malacca sultanate were attacked and captured in 1469 by Vietnamese navy as they were returning to Malacca from China. The Vietnamese enslaved and castrated the young from among the captured.

A 1472 entry in the Ming Shilu reported that some Chinese from Nanhai escaped back to China after their ship had been blown off course into Vietnam, where they had been forced to serve as soldiers in Vietnam's military. The escapees also reported that they found out that more than 100 Chinese men remained captives in Vietnam after they were caught and castrated by the Vietnamese after their ships were blown off course into Vietnam in other incidents. The Chinese Ministry of Revenue responded by ordering Chinese civilians and soldiers to stop going abroad to foreign countries. These 100 men were taken prisoner around the same time as Wu Rui and the historian Leo K. Shin believes all of them may have been involved in illegal trade instead of being blown off course by wind. The over 100 Chinese men who were castrated and made into eunuchs by the Vietnamese remained captives in Vietnam when the incident was reported. Both the incidents of the young Chinese man Wu Rui and the more than 100 Chinese men being castrated and used as eunuchs point to possible involvement in trade according to historians John K. Whitmore and Tana Li which was then suppressed by the Vietnamese government instead of them really being blown off course by the wind. China's relations with Vietnam during this period were marked by the punishment of prisoners by castration.

Champa

In 1470, a Cham army numbered 100,000 under king Maha Sajan arrived and besieged the Vietnamese garrison at Huế. The local commander sent appeals to Hanoi for help. Champa was defeated and the balance of power between the Cham and the Vietnamese for more than 500 years came to an end. The Ming annals recorded that in 1485 that "Champa is a distant and dangerous place, and Annam is still employing troops there."

Laos and Burma

Back in 1448, the Vietnamese had annexed the land of Muang Phuan in what is today the Plain of Jars in northeastern Laos, and Thánh Tông made that territory a prefecture of Đại Việt in 1471. Began in 1478, Thánh Tông felt it was the time to take his revenge on King Chakkaphat of Laos, he collected his army along the Annamite border in preparation for an invasion. Around the same time a white elephant had been captured and brought to King Chakkaphat. The elephant being a potent symbol of kingship was common throughout Southeast Asia, and Thánh Tông requested the animal's hair to be brought as a gift to the Đại Việt court. The request was seen as an affront, and according to legend a box filled with dung was sent instead. Thánh Tông also realized that Laos was expanding its authority over Tai peoples who had previously acknowledged Vietnamese suzerainty and had regularly paid tribute to Đại Việt. Thus, the campaigns to reassert Dai Viet's authority over the Tai tribes led to the invasion of Laos.

In fall 1479, Thánh Tông led an army of 180,000 men marched westward, attacked Muang Phuan, Lan Xang and Nan. Luang Phabang was captured and the Laotian ruler Chakkaphat was killed. His forces pushed further to the upper Irrawaddy River, around Kengtung in modern-day Myanmar. In 1482 Momeik borrowed troops of Dai Viet to invade Hsenwi and Lan Na. By November 1484, his forces had withdrawn back to Dai Viet. According to the Ming Shilu, in 1488 Burmese Ava embassy in China complained about Dai Viet』s incursion into its territory. In the next year (1489) the Ming court sent envoys to admonish Dai Viet to stop.

Other regional powers and pirates

According to the Ming Shilu, Thánh Tông led ninety thousand troops to invade Lan Xang but was chased by the troops of the Malacca Sultanate, who killed thirty thousand Vietnamese soldiers. In 1485, envoys of Champa, Lan Xang, Melaka, Ayutthaya, and Java arrived Dai Viet. In 1470 he sent an anti-pirate expedition in the Gulf of Tonkin, secured the maritime transit. Also in 1475, pirates from Ryukyu Islands and Champa raided the port of Qui Nhơn. In 1480 a battle occurred on the Vietnamese coast between Vietnamese and a shipwrecked Ryukyuan ship. The Ming received a message requesting aid by Lan Song in 1481 against the Vietnamese invasion. Lê Thánh Tông claimed as tributaries the countries of Melaka, Java, Siam, Laos and Champa in the "The Regulations concerning Tribute Missions from Vassals to the Imperial Capital" (Chư phiên sứ thần triều cống kinh quốc lệ) in 1485. The Tusi system was used to rule "barbarian" ethinc minorities in perihperal and mountain border areas.

As a poet

A group of 28 poets was formally recognized by the court (the Tao Dan) Lê Thánh Tông himself was a poet and some of his poem has survived. He wrote the following at the start of his campaign against the Champa:

One hundred thousand officers and men,

Start out on a distant journey.

Falling on the sails, the rain

Softens the sounds of the army.

Family

• Father: Lê Thái Tông

• Mother: Empress Quang Thuc Ngo Thi Ngoc Dao (光淑文皇后吳氏; 1421 - 1496)

• Consort(s) and their Respective Issue(s):

• Empress Huy Gia (Empress Truong Lac) Nguyễn Thị Hằng of Nguyen Clan (徽嘉皇后阮氏; 1441 - 1505)

• # Crown Prince Le Tranh, so Emperor Lê Hiến Tông

• Empress Nhu Huy of Phung clan (柔徽皇后馮氏; 1444 - 1489)

• # Prince Le Tan, father of Emperor Lê Tương Dực

• Imperial Consort Minh of Pham clan (明妃范氏; 1448 - 1498)

• # Prince Le Tung

• # Princess Loi Y Lê Oánh Ngọc (雷懿公主黎莹玉)

• # Princess Lan Minh Lê Lan Khuê (兰明公主黎兰圭; 1470 - 14??)

• Imperial Consort Kinh of Nguyen clan (敬妃阮氏; 1444 - 1485)

• # Princess Minh Kinh Lê Thụy Hoa (明敬公主黎瑞华)

• Consort Nguyen thi (貴妃阮氏)

• # Prince Le Thoan

• Lady Nguyen (修容阮氏)

• Lady Nguyen (才人阮氏; 1444 - 1479)

• # Prince Lê Tranh

9 of Lê Thánh Tông's consorts were recorded by name, consisting of 2 empresses and 7 concubines. 20 daughters and 14 sons were fathered by Lê Thánh Tông with his wives and concubines. 2 daughters died prematurely and 7 daughters died too young to be granted official titles as princesses.

Lê Thánh Tông may have had Cham women as concubines, dancers and singers in his court. Lê Thánh Tông was afflicted with a sexually transmitted venereal disease from having sex with his concubines and may have contracted the disease from a Cham girl taken prisoner in the 1471 invasion of Champa, since the Vietnamese girls who became his concubines were selected for their virginity, health and beauty but the beautiful Cham girls taken as slaves and concubines may have had venereal disease. His empress Nguyễn Thị Hằng rubbed poison into the sores of his diseased skin and he died. The art historian Trần Quang Đức has suggested the wording of the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư on Lê Thánh Tông's death implies that empress Nguyễn Thị Hằng put the poison on her hands while performing a handjob on Lê Thánh Tông's penis, in revenge for Lê Thánh Tông spending most of his time having sex with his numerous concubines and palace maids while he had her isolated in a separate palace before his illness.

Ancestry