page_title: Lê Lợi
section_title: Revolt of 1418–1427
hierarchical_section_title: Lê Lợi / Biography / Revolt of 1418–1427
caption_attribution_description: The Ming Empire without its "vassal states" under the Yongle Emperor (For more information see: Denis Twitchett &amp; Frederick W. Mote: The Cambridge History of China Vol. 7 - The Ming Dynasty 1368–1644 Part 1. Cambridge University Press, 1988.)
context_page_description: Lê Lợi, posthumously known by his temple name Lê Thái Tổ, was emperor of Vietnam and founder of the Later Lê dynasty. Lê Lợi is among the most famous figures of Vietnamese history and one of its greatest heroes.
context_section_description: Lê Lợi began his campaign against the Ming Empire on the day after Tết (New Year) February 1418. He was supported by several prominent families from his native Thanh Hóa, most famously were the Trịnh and the Nguyễn families. Initially, Lê Lợi campaigned on the basis of restoring the Trần to power. A relative of the Trần emperor was chosen as the figurehead of the revolt but within a few years, the Trần pretender was removed and the unquestioned leader of the revolt was Lê Lợi himself, under the name "Pacifying King" (Binh Dinh Vuong).
  The revolt enjoyed patchy initial success. While Lê Lợi was able to operate in Thanh Hóa, he was, for 2–3 years, unable to muster the military forces required to defeat the Ming army in open battle. As a result, he waged a type of guerrilla war against the large and well organized Ming army.
  One famous story from this time is about the heroism of one of Lê Lợi's soldier, Lê Lai. One time during the revolt, Lê Lợi's forces had been surrounded by Ming forces on the top of a mountain. Lê Lai devised a plan that would allow Lê Lợi and the main bulk of the force to escape. He pretended to be Lê Lợi to divert the Ming  army's attention by dressing himself in Lê Lợi's attire and lead a kamikaze-like charge down to attack the enemy. During the battle, Lê Lợi was able to escape.
  Besides fighting Ming forces, Lê Lợi and his army also had to fight against ethnic minorities' forces whom the Ming government bribed known collectively as Ai Lao (Laos) . Although there were many difficulties, Lê Lợi's army was able to suppress Ai Lao multiple times. However, because his force was not strong enough at the time, he had to lurk in the forests or mountains of Thanh Hoa province. Often due to lack of food supplies, Lê Lợi had to order the killing of army horses and elephants for use as food. In one particularly dangerous situation in 1422, Lê Lợi made peace with the Ming army. But in 1423 when his forces were built up better, Lê Lợi broke the peace agreement when the Ming army captured and killed his envoy.
caption: Jiaozhi (northern Vietnam) when it was under Ming occupation (1407–1427)
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