Life

She was born in Linzi

Linzi

Linzi was the capital of Qi from 859 BC to 221 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period in China. The ruins of the city lie in modern day Linzi District, Shandong, China. The city was one of the largest and richest in China during the Spring and Autumn Period...

 prefecture to a family of Confucian

Confucianism

Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...

 scholars. Her mother died young, but her father, Zuo Yong, became an imperial official in charge of the imperial archives. She got a good literary education and often played word games with her brother, Zuo Si

Zuo Si

Zuo Si , courtesy name Taichong , was a writer and poet of the Western Jin.-Biography:...

, who would become a famous writer as well.

In 272 she went to the palace and became a concubine of Emperor Wu of Jin

Emperor Wu of Jìn

Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...

. There she wrote the Rhapsody of Thoughts on Separation, in which she expressed frustration at being separated from her family and the rest of the world. Her expression of dissatisfaction with life at the palace, which was rare, did not make her lose favour and she was raised to the highest rank of noble concubine.

The emperor regularly commanded writings from her, but she was often ill and did not play a political role at court. When Empress Yang Yan

Empress Yang Yan

Empress Yang Yan , courtesy name Qiongzhi , formally Empress Wuyuan was an empress of Jin Dynasty . She was the first wife of Emperor Wu....

died, she wrote a song of mourning in her honour.

Zuo Fen died in 300.