Trịnh Tùng
In spring 1571, Lê Anh Tông appointed Trịnh Tùng as Prime Minister. In the same year, the northern court ordered Mạc Kính Điển to invade Nghệ An while another Mạc general conducted a amphibious offensive on Thuận Hóa, the Lê realm's extreme south prefecture, in order to open a second battlefront against the Lê dynasty. Mac forces landed on Thuận Hóa but were utterly defeated by general Nguyễn Hoàng, Trịnh Tùng's uncle-in-law. On the Nghệ An front, Lê Anh Tông's forces led by Trịnh Tùng managed to repulse Mạc Kính Điển's army. Lê Anh Tông and Trịnh Tùng defeated another offensive of Mạc Kính Điển in 1572.