Born in the early 11th century during the Ly dynasty, he grew up amid a newly consolidated Dai Viet court. Family connections and education prepared him for service in Thang Long’s bureaucracy and army.

As a youth he entered royal service in Thang Long, learning administration, protocol, and command basics. The Ly court’s need for capable officers offered him steady advancement through merit and loyalty.

He served in campaigns that secured Dai Viet’s southern frontier and sea routes in a volatile regional landscape. Experience with logistics and mixed land–naval forces helped shape his later operational planning.

Under Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, he gained prominence as a disciplined commander and reliable court figure. His ability to coordinate officials and troops made him valuable for both frontier defense and internal stability.

He oversaw preparations in the northern highlands where Dai Viet met Song-controlled territories and allied polities. Fortification work, supply depots, and intelligence gathering reduced vulnerability to sudden incursions.

In a period of regional rivalry, he contributed to policies that paired diplomacy with credible force. Coordination between Thang Long’s court, provincial officials, and field commanders improved response speed in crisis.

After Emperor Ly Thanh Tong’s death, the child emperor Ly Nhan Tong took the throne under regency. He emerged as a central stabilizing figure, helping ensure continuity while external threats intensified.

Facing preparations by the Song dynasty, he argued for striking first to disrupt enemy logistics and momentum. The plan targeted border prefectures that served as supply nodes and staging areas for invasion forces.

He led Dai Viet forces across the frontier and attacked Yongzhou (modern Nanning area) and nearby Qinzhou and Lianzhou. The campaign aimed to destroy stores and undermine Song confidence before a full-scale invasion.

After the strike, he managed an orderly withdrawal, bringing forces back to defend Dai Viet’s heartland. Captured supplies, intelligence, and the enemy’s shaken timetable helped prepare a layered defensive campaign.

As the Song invasion advanced under generals such as Guo Kui, he concentrated defenses along the Nhu Nguyet River. Earthworks, river barriers, and coordinated counterattacks turned geography into a force multiplier.

Fighting raged along the river as Dai Viet troops resisted repeated crossings and probing attacks. He emphasized endurance, supply discipline, and timely strikes that gradually exhausted the invaders’ will to continue.

He is traditionally linked to the stirring poem 'Nam quoc son ha,' recited to affirm Dai Viet’s sovereignty. Whether authored by him or not, the recitation worked as psychological warfare within a sacred, communal frame.

With Song forces strained by disease, supply issues, and stalemate, he pursued terms that encouraged withdrawal without inviting renewed escalation. The outcome preserved Dai Viet’s autonomy while restoring a workable border peace.

In the postwar years he supported stronger provincial administration and defense readiness along sensitive approaches. Attention to roads, granaries, and command structure ensured the kingdom could mobilize rapidly if threatened again.

Late in life he was revered for safeguarding the dynasty during its gravest northern crisis. Court memorials and popular memory celebrated his blend of decisive action, careful planning, and loyalty to Ly Nhan Tong’s reign.

He died in the early 12th century after decades at the center of Dai Viet’s military and political life. His reputation endured in temples, histories, and patriotic tradition as a model defender of the realm.