Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks ⇱
Gia Long was the first emperor of the Nguyen dynasty as well as the founding father of the modern nation of Vietnam. Born as Nguyen Phuc Anh, he was the nephew of the last Nguyen lord who ___(1)___ over southern Vietnam. In spite of being born into a royal family, he had to encounter ___(2)___ difficulties in his early life as he became the target of rival groups who attempted to wipe out the Nguyen clan ___(3)___. After the deaths of his father and uncle at the hands of the rival leaders, Nguyen Phuc Anh fled to the southern coastal tip of Vietnam ___(4)___ he met a French priest, Pigneau de Behaine, who would eventually become his trusted adviser and play a major ___(5)___ in his rise to power. He escaped with the help of the priest and later on sought aid from the French in his struggle against his rivals.
(Adapted from https://www.thefamouspeople.com/)