according to thong's account, định agreed with these arguments and began to organise the resources required for his unapproved anti-french movement. although he was fully aware of his imperial defiance, định sent an appeal "to all the righteous men, encouraging them in the name of loyalty to the court to rise and destroy the invaders". thong asserted that the imperial edicts used by định—which were cited by french officers for subsequent aggression—were fake. định had falsified them to make propaganda in order to rally popular support. according to mark mcleod, it is unclear whether hawkish mandarins in the imperial court were assisting định's southern insurgents in contravention of tự đức's wishes. truong buu lam opined that "if some partisans received assistance from the vietnamese authorities, it was extended to them by local officials who acted independently".