Emperor Túc Tông did not live long. He followed his ancestors soon after becoming emperor. This was a turning point for the dynasty. Túc Tông’s successors were a mixture of evil, debauchery and plain incompetence. The courtiers were not loyal. There were many dissidents. It seemed too much for whoever who was the emperor at the time.

Enter Mạc Đăng Dung. An exceptionally clever and ambitious person, Mạc slowly drew all authority to himself, rendering the emperor powerless. He was certainly in the right place at the right time. What Mạc did was like felling a rotten tree, rather than struggling with one in its prime.