早年生涯

陈暊是越南陈明宗的第三子，于陈明宗大庆八年（1321年）十二月出生。陈宪宗开佑十年（1338年），陈暊（号恭定王）出任骠骑上将军领宣光镇一职，时年十八岁。其后，陈暊在朝廷里地位日渐攀升。陈裕宗绍丰十三年（1353年），陈暊获任为右相国；陈裕宗大治十年（1367年），获任为左相国加封大王。

陈暊在他历事几朝皇帝期间，其政绩可以说是不过不失。黎澄这样描述他的表现：「恭定忠信诚确，事君与亲，谨慎毫发，人无间言，接物不亲不疏，临政无咎无誉。明王弃世，居丧三年，泪不乾睫，服除，衣无彩色，食不重味，菴萝果、海豚鱼，是南方珍味，自此绝不到口。」虽然他在这些日子里「无咎无誉」，而且又并非太子，并无继任权，但后来他却碰上难得的机遇。

恢复陈氏，即皇帝位

出逃避祸

大治十二年（1369年），陈裕宗驾崩，因无后嗣，便立杨日礼继位。（据《大越史记全书‧本纪全书‧陈纪‧陈裕宗》所载，杨日礼名义上是陈明宗之孙，恭肃王陈元昱之子，但其实是优伶杨姜之子。杨日礼的母亲怀孕时，陈元昱「悦其艳色纳之，及生，以为己子」。）

杨日礼登位后，任命陈暊为太师。杨日礼的表现甚为不济，《大越史记全书》说他「纵酒淫逸，日事宴游，好为杂技之戏」，而且「欲复姓杨，宗室百官皆失望」。黎澄《南翁梦录》亦提到他毕竟是「外人杨氏所生」，被陈氏一族所轻视，所以「潜谋尽去陈氏之有名目者」。大定二年（1370年）九月，太宰恭靖王陈元晫力抗而败，最终遇害。十月，陈暊获悉大难临头，出逃避难。

群臣拥立

在出逃期间，陈暊曾感到沮丧，「意欲自尽」，幸好「左右持之」，阻止了其自杀念头。后来，陈氏宗室群臣相会，迎立陈暊为皇帝。陈暊最初尚有犹疑，但看见群臣「再三恳切上书，誓死无易」，便于当年（大定二年）的十一月率众回都。十三日（西历12月1日），废杨日礼为昏德公。十五日（西历12月3日），陈暊即皇帝位，改年号为绍庆，称为义皇。

陈艺宗即位后，很快便肃清杨日礼的馀党叛臣。如大臣陈日核，因曾劝杨日礼杀害陈氏宗室，被判以「倾危社稷罪」而伏诛。

在位期间的举措

陈艺宗陈暊在皇位仅两年（1370年农历十一月至1372年十一月），其后的二十馀年他以太上皇的身份掌权。在他任皇帝的短短两年间，当中的施政及举措如下：

• 恢复陈明宗时的旧制：陈艺宗在位时，但凡一应事务，都依照陈明宗开泰年间（1324年至1329年）旧例，他曾为此说：「先朝立国，自有法度，不遵宋制，盖以南（此处指代越南）北（此处指代中国）各帝其国，不相袭也。大治间，白面书生用事，不达立法，微意乃举祖宗旧法，恰向北俗上安排，若衣服乐章之类，不可枚举，故初政一遵开泰年间例。」

• 重用外戚黎季牦：黎季牦是陈朝晚年的著名外戚。他的两位姑母，都被纳入陈明宗后宫，一位是陈艺宗母亲，另一是陈睿宗母亲。陈艺宗对黎季牦十分宠信，并于绍庆二年（1371年）五月，委任黎季牦为枢密院大使。

就任上皇

退位及担任上皇

陈艺宗陈暊于绍庆三年十一月九日（1372年12月4日），禅位于太子陈曔（陈明宗第十一子，亦即陈艺宗之弟），是为陈睿宗。陈睿宗绍庆元年正月，上皇陈暊被尊称为光华英哲太上皇帝。其后，当陈睿宗死，陈晛（即陈废帝，陈睿宗长子）立，以及陈废帝被黜，陈顒（即陈顺宗，上皇陈暊幼子）立时，陈暊都曾参与决定继嗣者的事宜，并且在每一朝中一直身居上皇之位，发挥影响力。

财政负担的增重

据越南近代学者陈仲金所说，在陈暊统治的时期里，由于战事频繁，以致财政日益困难，只好增加赋税。在以往的太平时期里，一般平民只按定额纳税，有田土者纳钱，无者不纳，而当兵者则世袭从军。即使偶有战事，也按人民的田亩、渔潭等资产情况缴交粟、钱及布匹，以供军费。但到了陈暊统治时代，与占城间常有战乱（详见下），所以在昌符二年（1378年），开始行人头税，每丁每年出钱三贯。这反映了陈暊统治期间时务艰难的状态。

误信黎季牦

身居上皇之位的陈暊，对于外戚黎季牦一直十分倚重。在昌符四年（1380年）五月，黎季牦因击退占人之功，得以「专领元戎，行海西都统制」。昌符十一年（1387年）三月，上皇命黎季牦同平章事，赐剑一把、旗一只，还题字说「文武全才，君臣同德」，以表示上皇毫不怀疑黎季牦的才能与忠诚。

陈废帝的被黜及被杀，亦与上皇宠信黎季牦有关。在昌符十二年（1388年）八月，陈废帝感到黎季牦弄权的威胁，便对大臣说：「上皇宠爱外戚季牦，肆意任用，若不先为之虑，后必难制矣。」此言却泄漏到黎季牦耳中，黎季牦与亲信商量，知道上皇自身「正嫡众多」，而陈废帝只不过是上皇侄儿，因而向上皇说：「臣闻里谚曰：『未有卖子而养侄，惟见卖侄而养子』」，用这番话煸惑上皇。果然，上皇不分就里，下诏称「官家（指陈废帝）践位以来，童心益甚，秉德不常，亲昵群小」，以致「扇摇社稷」，因而废为灵德大王，改立自己的幼子陈顒为帝。而废帝陈晛最终亦被黎季牦杀害，大臣被牵连而死及受罚者甚众。

不过，在上皇的身边，亦有人关注黎季牦权力过盛的问题，并提醒上皇小心。如司徒陈元旦曾作《十禽诗》说：「人言寄子与老鸦，不识老鸦怜爱不」，就是讽谕上皇把儿子陈顺宗付托给黎季牦，不知是否万无一失。虽然如此，但上皇仍没有产生戒心。陈顺宗光泰七年二月，上皇命画工画中国历史里的周公辅周成王、霍光辅汉昭帝、诸葛亮辅蜀后主，以及越南历史里的苏宪诚辅李高宗的故事，名为《四辅图》，以赐给黎季牦，希望他效法周公、霍光等人。四月，上皇召黎季牦入宫，向季牦从容地提到：「平章亲族，国家事务，一以委之，今国势衰弱，朕方老耄，即世之后，官家（指陈朝皇室）可辅则辅之，庸暗则自取之。」黎季牦连忙答以「臣不能尽忠戮力辅官家，传之后裔，天其厌之」；「纵糜身碎骨，未能报答万一，敢有异图！」上皇至去世为止，也没有作出对黎季牦不利的事情。

内乱

上皇陈暊掌权期间，国内名镇变乱频生。如在清化有阮清自称「灵德王」，作乱于梁江，又有阮忌自称「鲁王」，作乱于农贡；最严重的一次是光泰二年（1389年）十二月时，僧人范师温起事，一度攻陷国都升龙，当时适值占城进攻大越国，幸好将领黄奉世平定范师温的乱事，化险为夷。

对外关系

对中国明朝的关系

虽然陈艺宗于1370年即位，但据中国史籍《明实录》所载，明洪武四年（1371年）时，安南国仍以「国王陈日熞」（前朝国君杨日礼）的名义向明入贡。到明洪武五年二月丙戌（1372年2月12日），才用陈叔明之名，派员到明。但明廷礼部主管者认为「前王乃陈日熞，今表曰叔明，必有以也」，怀疑其国君的合法地位。明太祖更说：「岛夷何狡如是！」于是被「却其贡不受」。到次年，即明洪武六年春正月（1373年），明廷才让陈叔明（陈暊）「以前王印视事」。

由于明廷认为陈叔明（陈暊）政权来历不明，所以至死后仍不得明人的吊慰。《明实录》载，洪武二十九年二月壬寅（1396年3月23日），安南遣使「以其前王陈叔明卒，遣其臣来告哀。」明太祖认为「安南自陈叔明逼逐其陈日熞，使不得其死，因篡位，废置相，仍未来告。叔明怀奸挟诈，残灭其王，以图富贵，不义如此，庸可与乎？今叔明之死若遣使吊慰，是抚乱臣而与贼子也。异日四夷闻之，岂不效尤，狂谋踵发，亦非中怀怃外夷之道也。尔礼部咨其国知之。」简言之，陈暊的对明关系，处于甚为尴尬的状态。

对占城国的关系

陈暊任皇帝和上皇的时期，正值是占城雄主制蓬峩（又称阿答阿者）在位，越占两国势成水火，兵衅时起，国都升龙更数度被占军攻陷。

• 陈艺宗皇帝绍庆二年（1371年）闰三月，占城入寇国都。事缘杨日礼被废黜时，其母出逃占城，诱使入寇，以替杨日礼雪恨。占军从大安海门直攻国都，艺宗逃到东岸江（在古法亭的榜村）躲避。该月二十七日（西历5月12日），占军攻陷国都，焚毁宫殿，虏掠女子玉帛而回。《大越史记全书》的作者说这是国防松懈所致，并谓战乱将接踵有来，「时承平日久，边城无备，寇至无兵可御，贼烧焚宫室，图籍为之扫空，国家自此多事矣。」

• 陈睿宗皇帝于隆庆五年（该年亦即陈废帝昌符元年，1377年）亲征占城时战死，占城更再次进犯越都升龙。前一年（隆庆四年，1376年）五月，占城入寇大越边地，陈睿宗遂决定亲征。结果在隆庆五年正月，陈睿宗在占城境内被制蓬峩的军队击毙。上皇陈暊便于五月十三日（6月19日），立陈晛为帝，是为陈废帝。该年六月，占城再入寇大越，上皇闻悉后，便派将到大安海口布防，占军知上皇已有戒备，改由神符海口（在今越南宁平省）掳掠升龙，数天后才离去。

• 昌符二年（1378年）五月，占城出兵入寇乂安府，并于六月入大黄江，击败越军，又一次进犯京师，掳掠而还。

• 昌符四年（1380年），二、三月间，占军入寇大越国的乂安、清化等地。上皇派黎季牦、杜子平等率军，在虞江（在今越南清化省）迎战占军。五月，黎季牦在虞江得胜，占王制蓬峩战败遁归。

• 昌符六年（1382年）二月，占城入寇清化，前进至神投津（在今越南宁平省）时，被越将阮多方击败。阮多方乘胜追击，至三月，追到乂安城而还。

• 昌符七年（1383年），在大越上皇陈暊及占王制蓬峩的领导下，双方互有攻守。该年正月，上皇命黎季牦率舟师攻占城，但行军至吏部娘湾（在今越南河静省奇英县）时，战船遭风涛折坏而回。六月，占王制蓬峩领军到广威镇，向越都升龙进逼。上皇派军抵御，不利，便命阮多方留守国都，自己却离京逃到东岸江（在古法亭的榜村）。当时有士人阮梦华「衣冠下水，牵挽御舟，请留讨贼」，上皇却畏惧不从。此举被后黎朝史官吴士连猛烈抨击：「艺皇无勇，贼未至而先避，其如国人何？」到该年十二月，占军才撤退。

• 光泰二年（1389年）及光泰三年（1390年）间的战事最为激烈，占王制蓬峩最终战死。光泰二年十月，占军入寇清化等地，黎季牦等将率兵抵抗，但都不敌而退。十一月，上皇命将陈渴真领兵抵御。此时，上皇感到绝望，看见陈渴真「慷慨涕泣拜辞」，自己「亦泣，下目送之」。与此同时，十二月，大越国内又有僧人范师温的作乱，并曾一度攻陷国都升龙，上皇与陈顺宗皇帝弃京出逃，瞬即遣将军黄奉世讨平。到光泰三年正月二十三日（西历2月8日），陈渴真部队于海潮江（在今越南太平省与兴安省境内）遇上占军，用火铳击毙制蓬莪，越军将其首级割下。捷报传来时，正在熟睡的上皇还虚怯得以为是占军攻到，但当看到制蓬峩的首级后大喜，说：「我与蓬莪相持久矣，今日始得相见，何异汉高祖见项羽首！天下定矣。」占城将领罗皑则带著制蓬峩的尸身与馀众落荒而回。

• 陈暊与占城之间的连年大战，虽然最终获胜，但亦使陈朝元气大伤，秩序大乱，国内投向占城的民众甚多。《大越史记全书》载，「是时，乂安人怀贰，新平、顺化多叛从占，故土哩之人四散游击，莫之能御，朝廷虽以黎可铸为两路安抚使，但在京遥镇，未尝到郡」，就只有少数的地方土豪愿意归降陈氏朝廷，可见当时管治上的困难。经过连年混战后的乱局后，朝廷上亦出现厌弃战争，要求和平的声音。司徒陈元旦便向上皇忠告：「愿陛下敬明国如父，爱占城如子，则国家无事，臣虽死且不朽。」

去世及身后的越南政局

上皇陈暊于光泰七年十二月十五日（即1395年1月6日）去世，葬于安生原陵，庙号艺宗，谥曰光尧英哲皇帝。

上皇陈暊去世后，外戚黎季牦成为新任君主陈顺宗的辅政太师，把持朝政。至此，黎季牦准备篡夺皇位，陈朝步上灭亡之路。

文才

陈艺宗陈暊在年幼时，已具有文才。据黎澄《南翁梦录》所载，他八九岁时，有一回与父亲陈明宗一起，陈明宗命他以竹奴为主题作诗，艺宗随即占口说：「有伟此君，中空外功，削汝为奴，恐伤天性。」父亲也感诧异。《大越史记全书》亦载他十一岁时，有一回在宫中遇大风雨，便赋诗说：「安得壮士力盖世，可御大屋之颓风」，得到陈明宗（时为上皇）的赏识，赏金十两。他的诗文作品，部份收录在《南翁梦录》和《大越史记全书》等越南历史古籍中。另外，据《钦定越史通鉴纲目》所载，他的著作有《葆和殿馀笔》八卷及《诗集》一卷。

家庭

「宗族远近，咸被恩怜」

因当时乱事频生，陈艺宗对于陈氏亲族给与照料，抚恤生活遇上困难的人。黎澄《南翁梦录‧艺王始末》中记载，艺宗「即位之后，尽取兄弟姊妹子女孙侄之孤幼者，鞠养宫中，视同巳出，宗族远近，咸被恩怜。有遭乱后，贫窭不能婚嫁者，婚嫁之；未葬者，葬之。末派支流，莫不收录，翕然戚里，盎若春和。」透过这些措施，务求使陈氏宗室的生活条件得到改善。

陈氏宗室的厄运

陈氏一族亦受陈艺宗的昏庸所累，就是他宠信黎季牦，使不少宗室子孙遭到杀害。其结果是造就了黎季牦的篡位。

亲属

• 父：陈明宗，陈艺宗是他的第三子。

• 母：黎氏，陈艺宗绍庆二年（1371年）正月，追尊为明慈皇太妃。

• 兄弟：

　• 兄：陈宪宗陈旺，陈明宗皇太子。

　• 兄：陈元晫，陈明宗次子。

　• 弟：恭肃王陈元昱。

　• 弟：陈裕宗陈暭，陈明宗第十子。

　• 弟：陈睿宗陈曔，陈明宗第十一子。

• 配偶：

　• 正配：惠懿夫人，陈艺宗绍庆元年（1370年）十一月，追册为淑德皇后。

• 子

　• 五桥大王陈顼。

　• 简定帝陈頠，陈艺宗次子。

　• 庄定王陈𩖃，重光帝之父，1392年被杀。

　• 陈顺宗陈顒，陈艺宗季子。

• 女

　• 天徽公主陈氏实美，初嫁陈废帝，封光鸾皇后，后再嫁陈元渊、陈沆

　• 庄徽公主陈氏，嫁陈元胤

　• 宣徽公主陈氏，嫁陈顼

　• 绍宁公主陈氏

　• 陈氏，嫁杨日礼

评价

• 越南后黎朝时期的史官，认为陈艺宗虽曾为陈朝化解危机，但性格优柔寡断，终究未能防止外戚篡位之祸。《大越史记全书》的编著者评道：「帝削平内难，光复洪图，规恢功烈，炳彪宇宙，然恭俭有馀，而明断不足，外寇侵犯京畿，内奸觊觎神器，社稷消剥，以至于亡。」吴士连更直接地抨击他用人失当，「乃委政外戚，使陈氏社稷驯致危亡，所谓前有谗而不见，后有贼而不知者也。」

• 出身自陈末时期外戚一族的黎澄，则形容陈艺王能齐家治国，是「贤君」典范，「翕然戚里，盎若春和。国人化之，俗渐淳厚。此土之君，斯其贤者欤！」

• 近代学者陈仲金对陈艺宗评价亦甚低，说他「是一位平庸的君主，胸无大志，智力低下，致受奸臣蒙骗，尽杀同族子孙，远弃忠臣义士；而一味宠爱和任用季牦一人，使其掌权得势，达到推翻陈氏社稷的境地。」

注释

Biography

As prince

Nghệ Tông was born in 1321 as Trần Phủ, third son of the Emperor Minh Tông and Concubine Lê who was the younger sister of Empress Hiến Từ. Under the reign of his eldest brother, Emperor Hiến Tông (1329–1341) and his younger brother, Emperor Dụ Tông (1341–1369), Trần Phủ was entitled as Prince Cung Định (Vietnamese: Cung Định Vương). When Dương Nhật Lễ took over the throne in 1369, Prince Cung Định became the Emperor's father-in-law as Nhật Lễ married his daughter.

During his two years of reigning, Emperor Nhật Lễ enraged the imperial court and Trần clan's members by his irresponsible attitude with the throne and his effort of changing his family name back to Dương which meant the ending of the Trần Dynasty. As a result, there were several plots trying to overthrow and kill Nhật Lễ, one of them was led by Prince Cung Định himself after the advice of his brother Prince Cung Tuyên Trần Kính, his sister Princess of Thiên Ninh Trần Ngọc Tha and the respected Marquis of Chương Túc Trần Nguyên Đán. Ultimately, Prince Cung Tuyên succeeded in re-establishing the ruling of Trần clan when the mandarin Ngô Lai persuaded Nhật Lễ to surrender and return the throne to Trần clan. Prince Cung Định was enthroned on November 15 of Lunar calendar, 1370 as the Emperor Nghệ Tông and decided to change the era name to Thiệu Khánh (绍庆), Dương Nhật Lễ was downgraded to Duke of Hôn Đức (Hôn Đức Công). Subsequently, Nhật Lễ killed Ngô Lai and was beaten to death with his son by an order from Nghệ Tông.

Nghệ Tông was credited with the re-establishment of Trần clan's ruling in Vietnam from Hôn Đức Công who kept the throne in nearly two years after the decease of Trần Dụ Tông. However, Nghệ Tông was proved to be an inefficient ruler during his reign as emperor and afterward as retired emperor from 1372 to his death at 1394. As the Retired Emperor who oversaw the ruling of his three consecutive successors, Duệ Tông, Phế Đế and Thuận Tông, Nghệ Tông was responsible for the rising in imperial court of Đỗ Tử Bình who brought Emperor Duệ Tông to his death and Hồ Quý Ly who ultimately overthrew the Trần Dynasty to found his own dynasty. Nghệ Tông also witnessed many defeats of Đại Việt in the struggle with Champa including Đồ Bàn Battle when Emperor Duệ Tông was killed in action or several attacks by king of Champa Chế Bồng Nga in Thăng Long, capital of Đại Việt. After the decease of Nghệ Tông, the Trần Dynasty fell into the situation of completely chaos and survived for only six more years before Hồ Quý Ly took the throne in 1400.

As emperor

Nghệ Tông took the absolute power when he was 49 and already had experience within the imperial court, however according to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, the Emperor lacked an important quality of a good ruler which is the decisiveness and thus led the Trần Dynasty step by step fall into the hand of his officials.

After the coronation, Nghệ Tông tried to restore the order of imperial court which was heavily damaged during the reign of Dụ Tông and Nhật Lễ but the progress came very slowly, partially because he did not have enough competent mandarins like Chu Văn An who died in 1370 or Trần Nguyên Đán who kept away from the court. Nghệ Tông faced his first failure in March 1371 when king of Champa Chế Bồng Nga commanded troop attacked directly Thăng Long, the capital of Đại Việt, after the petition of Nhật Lễ's mother. Unable to confront with the strong and well-organized opponent, the imperial court of the Trần Dynasty had to flee from Thăng Long and let the capital be violently looted by Chế Bồng Nga's army. Two months after the Champa's assault, Nghệ Tông appointed Hồ Quý Ly for one of the highest position in imperial court, this was the evidence for the Emperor's confidence in Hồ Quý Ly who had two aunts entitled as consorts of Minh Tông and married the Princess of Huy Ninh, Nghệ Tông's younger sister. The Emperor also chose Đỗ Tử Bình, another notorious official in future, for the position of military counsellor in April 1372.

On November 9 of Lunar calendar, 1372, Nghệ Tông decided to cede the throne to his younger brother, Prince Cung Tuyên Trần Kính who now became the Emperor Trần Duệ Tông, and held the title Retired Emperor to co-rule the country with the Emperor as the tradition of the Trần Dynasty.

As retired emperor

By nature Duệ Tông was an arrogant and hard-headed ruler who ignored the advice from mandarins about the power of Champa's army, therefore right after the enthronement he began to prepare a military campaign in the southern border against Chế Bồng Nga's troop. Another factor that reinforced the Emperor's decision was the refusal of Chế Bồng Nga to pay tribute for Đại Việt, afterwards historical books reveal that actually king of Champa did send fifteen trays of gold to Đại Việt but Đỗ Tử Bình kept the gold for himself while reported to imperial court that there was not any tribute from Champa. After some skirmishes caused by Champa, Duệ Tông began his decisive campaign in December 1376 in which the Emperor personally commanded with the assistance of Hồ Quý Ly and Đỗ Tử Bình. Eventually, the campaign was ended by a disastrous defeat of Đại Việt's army in Đồ Bàn Battle when the Emperor with many high-ranking mandarins and generals of the Trần Dynasty were killed by Champa's force. On the contrary, Hồ Quý Ly and Đỗ Tử Bình survived because Quý Ly, who took charge of logistics, and Tử Bình, who commanded the rearguard, both ran away from the battle instead of trying to rescue the Emperor. Afterwards, Đỗ Tử Bình was only dismissed to the position of plain soldier by the order of Nghệ Tông while Hồ Quý Ly even did not have to face with any charge.

After the death of the Emperor, the Retired Emperor in May 1377 passed the throne to Duệ Tông's eldest prince, Prince Kiến Đức Trần Hiện, now Trần Phế Đế. By the historical records, Phế Đế was actually worse than his father, he had a weak and ignorant character which was profited by Hồ Quý Ly in his gradual control of imperial court. During his reign, the military power was concentrated in the hand of Đỗ Tử Bình who was incapable to deal with many attacks from Champa's army. As a result, Nghệ Tông even decided to hide money in Lạng Sơn in fearing that Chế Bồng Nga's troop might assault and destroy the imperial palace in Thăng Long.

In 1380, Hồ Quý Ly had a minor victory over the troop of Chế Bồng Nga in Thanh Hóa, as a result, Đỗ Tử Bình had to give up his control of Đại Việt army to Hồ Quý Ly. However, in June 1383, Chế Bồng Nga opened a major campaign against Đại Việt, this time Trần Nghệ Tông was so afraid of the enemy that he escaped from Thăng Long ignoring advice from the imperial court. This coward decision of Nghệ Tông was heavily criticized by the historian Ngô Sĩ Liên in his work Đại Việt sử kí toàn thư.

In 1387, Nghệ Tông appointed Hồ Quý Ly as Co-Prime Minister (Đồng bình chương sự), giving him as much power as Nghệ Tông's eldest son, Prime Minister Trần Ngạc (Prince Trang Định). Facing this threat, Emperor Phế Đế allied with Trần Ngạc to overthrow Hồ Quý Ly. However, Quý Ly had already got ahead of this plot by a defamation campaign against the Emperor which ultimately made Nghệ Tông decide to dethrone Phế Đế in December 1388. Phế Đế was downgraded to Prince Linh Đức and forced to commit suicide while his supporters in imperial court were swept by Hồ Quý Ly's side. From now on it was Hồ Quý Ly who held the highest position and power in imperial court.

On December 27 of Lunar calendar, 1387, Nghệ Tông passed the throne to his youngest son Trần Ngung, now Trần Thuận Tông, who was only eleven, the Retired Emperor also entitled Hồ Quý Ly's daughter as the new empress of Thuận Tông. After another defeat of Đại Việt's army under the command of Hồ Quý Ly by Champa, in November 1389 Nghệ Tông appointed Trần Khát Chân for the position of general who conduct all military operations against Chế Bồng Nga's troop. Only a few months after taking charge of the position, Trần Khát Chân had a decisive victory over Champa on January 23, 1390 which resulted in the death of Chế Bồng Nga and thus the stable situation in southern border of Đại Việt. However, the Trần government still deteriorated. In 1391, the Prime Minister Trần Ngạc escaped the imperial city in other to make another attempt against Hồ Quý Ly. Having obtained Nghệ Tông's passive approval, Quý Ly ordered general Nguyễn Nhân Liệt to beat Trần Ngạc to death. Another imperial prince, Trần Nhật Chương, was killed in 1392 on the direct order of Nghệ Tông for taking opposing stance against Quý Ly.

Trần Nghệ Tông died on December 15 of Lunar calendar, 1394 at the age of 73 and left imperial court in the total control of Hồ Quý Ly. As a result, the Trần Dynasty survived for only six years before Hồ Quý Ly overthrew it and established his own reign, the Hồ Dynasty.

Family

Trần Nghệ Tông had one wife, Lady Huệ Ý, who died before his coronation and was posthumously entitled as Empress Thục Đức. The Emperor had five sons and one daughter:

• Prince Ngự Câu Trần Húc (?–1381) who was killed by Trần Phế Đế

• Trần Thúc Ngạn

• Prince Trang Định Trần Ngạc (?–1391) who was killed by an order of Hồ Quý Ly, Trần Ngạc's son was Trần Quý Khoáng who was afterward enthroned as Emperor of the Later Trần Dynasty

• Prince Giản Định Trần Ngỗi (?–1409) who was afterward the Emperor Giản Định of the Later Trần Dynasty

• Prince Chiêu Định Trần Ngung (1378–1398) who became the Emperor Trần Thuận Tông

• Princess Thiên Huy Trần Thục Mỹ

Legacy

Most cities in Vietnam have named major streets after him.