In 545, Emperor Wu of Liang sent troops to recapture the region.
In 546, Gia Ninh fortress fell, Lý Bí and his army fled and waged guerrilla warfare against the Liang.

While the Lý family retreated to the mountains and attempted to rule in the style of their Chinese overlords, a rebel leader who based his rule on an indigenous form of kingship arose in the Red River Delta.
Triệu Quang Phục made his headquarters on an island in a vast swamp.
From this refuge, he could strike without warning, seizing supplies from the Liang army and then slipping back into the labyrinthine channels of the swamp.
According to a much later Vietnamese revolutionary, General Võ Nguyên Giáp, Vietnamese concepts of protracted warfare were born in the surprise offensives, night attacks, and hit-and-run tactics employed by Triệu Quang Phục.

After the assassination of Lý Nam Đế in 547, his elder brother, Lý Thiên Bảo, became the de facto ruler of Vạn Xuân.
 Lý Thiên Bảo died of an illness in 555 and left no heirs, this prompted the military and officials elected Triệu Quang Phục as leader and de facto ruler.
However, his election to lead the war against the Liang was not undisputed as other prominent family members of Lý Nam Đế began to challenge Triệu Quang Phục leadership.
The remaining Lý family members and Triệu Quang Phục alliance began to fall apart as both sides claim legitimacy.
While Triệu Quang Phục claimed rightful succession garnered through  court officials, military, and the general populace.
On the other hand, Lý family members claimed rightful leadership must be upheld through traditional hereditary as they were still considered to be the ruling family in name.
 
As strong as the Chinese were, they could not make any headway against the type of warfare devised by the generalissimo Triệu Việt Vương.
This indecisive period lasted until 557 when finally a respite came for the Vạn Xuân (northern Vietnamese) country.
The Liang dynasty was under the civil war during the Hou Jing rebellion and the famous Chinese general Chen Batian's (Trần Bá Tiên) skills and troops were needed in his homeland to quell a revolt.
The Vietnamese forces, however, had no time to rejoice at the news of this temporary respite.
In 545, Emperor Wu of Liang sent troops to recapture the region. In 546, Gia Ninh fortress fell, Lý Bí and his army fled and waged guerrilla warfare against the Liang. 
While the Lý family retreated to the mountains and attempted to rule in the style of their Chinese overlords, a rebel leader who based his rule on an indigenous form of kingship arose in the Red River Delta. Triệu Quang Phục made his headquarters on an island in a vast swamp. From this refuge, he could strike without warning, seizing supplies from the Liang army and then slipping back into the labyrinthine channels of the swamp. According to a much later Vietnamese revolutionary, General Võ Nguyên Giáp, Vietnamese concepts of protracted warfare were born in the surprise offensives, night attacks, and hit-and-run tactics employed by Triệu Quang Phục. 
After the assassination of Lý Nam Đế in 547, his elder brother, Lý Thiên Bảo, became the de facto ruler of Vạn Xuân.  Lý Thiên Bảo died of an illness in 555 and left no heirs, this prompted the military and officials elected Triệu Quang Phục as leader and de facto ruler. However, his election to lead the war against the Liang was not undisputed as other prominent family members of Lý Nam Đế began to challenge Triệu Quang Phục leadership. The remaining Lý family members and Triệu Quang Phục alliance began to fall apart as both sides claim legitimacy. While Triệu Quang Phục claimed rightful succession garnered through  court officials, military, and the general populace. On the other hand, Lý family members claimed rightful leadership must be upheld through traditional hereditary as they were still considered to be the ruling family in name.  
As strong as the Chinese were, they could not make any headway against the type of warfare devised by the generalissimo Triệu Việt Vương. This indecisive period lasted until 557 when finally a respite came for the Vạn Xuân (northern Vietnamese) country. The Liang dynasty was under the civil war during the Hou Jing rebellion and the famous Chinese general Chen Batian's (Trần Bá Tiên) skills and troops were needed in his homeland to quell a revolt. The Vietnamese forces, however, had no time to rejoice at the news of this temporary respite.
Early Lý dynasty