Vietnamese migrants in Xiangkhouang, the Lê army regained Thanh Hóa and Nghệ An provinces, set Tây Kinh in Thanh Hóa as the temporary capital and base for return the Lê monarch, and started the period Southern and Northern dynasties (Nam Bắc Triều) in Vietnam, which lasted to 1592. In 1537, Nguyên Hòa sent delegations to Ming China, and sought Chinese military supportsl for his mission to reclaim the reign in Vietnam. Jiajing Emperor of Ming dynasty responded by sending 125,000 soldiers to the border, threatening the Mạc regime in Hanoi. In the final word, Mạc Đăng Dung surrendered to the Ming dynasty in Nam Quan Pass in 1541 as he accepted his regime and monarch would be under Chinese protection and ceded half of Quảng Ninh province to China (now is Fangcheng, Guangxi). While being under the political protection of Ming China, the Mạc dynasty rebuilt agricultural economy, opened business and factories, and rebuilt a 120,000 soldiers-strong army. The Mạc dynasty also tolerated other religions and foreign trades, allowed Buddhism and Taoism revived, and Christians were free to spread and worship. Portuguese merchants and missionaries, who had been in Vietnam since 1524, brought Christianity and arquebus technology to Vietnam. The Southern Lê regime also opened for Westerners trade ports in Đà Nẵng and Hội An cities, quickly adopted matchlock technique to the army, but less tolerated for the new faith brought by missionaries. The Lê monarchs were under control of military regents from powerful Trịnh and Nguyễn families. The two monarchs both claimed their rightful rule over Dai Viet, making conflict inevitable. Conflicts Conflicts in 1554–1555 In 1554, Trịnh Kiểm, the military regent of Lê dynasty, dispatched 25,000 men to the south and easily regained two provinces Thuận Hóa and Quảng Nam from the Mạc. Trịnh Kiểm also restored Cham principalities in Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận. In August 1555, Prince Mạc Kính Điển of the Northern dynasty, led 100 warships in an attack on Thanh Hóa shores. When the Mạc fleet was advancing on Mã River, Lê forces under Trịnh Kiểm ambushed them with matchlock firearms and canoes led by general Nguyễn Khải Khang, a Mạc defector. Mạc Kính Điển survived and fled back to Hanoi. Conflicts in 1557 July 1557, Mạc Kính Điển launched another naval offensive to the south. Lê warships once again ambushed Mạc fleet on Mã river. Mạc Kính Điểm jumped down the river and