Trịnh Kiểm
In spite of the threat of Mạc dynasty in the north, Trịnh Kiểm's priority was eliminating the Nguyễn lords' power. Trịnh Kiểm ordered that Nguyễn Uông, Nguyễn Kim's eldest son, be killed. Nguyễn Kim's second son, Nguyễn Hoàng, fearing that he would face the same fate as his brother, requested that Trịnh Kiểm allow him to move south to guard Thuận Hóa province. Trịnh Kiểm feared the political repercussions against him if he were to kill both brothers. Besides that, Thuận Hóa was far from the capital city and it would allow more opportunity for Trịnh Kiểm to seize control of the whole government. Eventually, Trịnh Kiểm consented to allow Nguyễn Hoàng to guard Thuận Hóa. Trịnh Kiểm established the Trịnh lords' regime and firmly ruled in proxy through the Lê dynasty government while Nguyễn Hoàng escaped to Thuận Hóa province and established his own Nguyễn lords' regime in the south to oppose the Trịnh family's rule in the north.&lt;br&gt;