Tường was born in Quảng Trị, in central Vietnam, to a peasant family. His father had been involved in a revolt against the Nguyễn Dynasty rule, so he was barred from competing in the national examinations that were used to select mandarins and court officials. On 29 October 1848, Emperor Tự Đức ascended the throne. The imperial records do not record how Tường initially came into contact with Tự Đức, but they do show that under the emperor's protection, Tường was able to pass the national examinations with the highest honours. Private records from Tuong’s family history indicated that Tuong was a (bastard) son of Tu Duc, who was conceived when Tu Duc met Tuong’s mother during one of the emperor’s unofficial journeys through the countryside. In the old days, kings or emperors would occasionally go on trips, sometimes in disguise, in order to assess and gauge their citizens’ life. It was during one of these times that Tu Duc met his mother. In 1852, Tường was assigned to serve in the ministry of justice. In accordance with Confucian tradition, following the death of his father in 1862, Tường had to retire for a five-year mourning period before resuming his administrative career.