Henri Roussel de Courcy

When he arrived at Huế on July 3, 1885, de Courcy summoned Nguyễn Văn Tường and Tôn Thất Thuyết, both were regents of Vietnamese royal court, to his residence for a discussion on the presentation of his credentials to the Emperor Hàm Nghi.

[2] During the discussion, de Courcy demanded that the central gate should be opened to let French troops go through, and that the Emperor would have to come down from his throne to greet him.

Tường replied it was against the principles of Confucianism rite, and demanded that French soldiers should go through side gates, but was rejected by him.

Thuyết and Hàm Nghi escaped from Huế and took refuge in a mountainous military base in Tân Sở.

De Courcy failed to put down the Cần Vương insurgency, and was replaced by Paul Bert in April 1886.