Zhu Yizun (1629-1709), courtesy name Xichang, styled Zhucha and later Xiao Changlu Diaoyu Shi, was born in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. He passed the examination held for selection of intellectuals as a commoner at the age of fifty and was appointed as a civil official at the Imperial Academy. He participated in compiling the History of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yizun was a learned scholar of classics and history. He was adept at poem, Ci and classical prose. He was the founder of the Zhexi school.

Some Ci works of Zhu Yizun were desolate meditations on the past and odes for history. Born at the turn of Ming and Qing dynasties, he advocated expressing personal emotions for the times and the lost country through songs and musical instruments, so his Ci works were often indignant, plaintive and gloomy. However, such works were short of a passionate and magnificent atmosphere which was not the most important in the works of Zhu Yizun. He respected the Ci writers before and after the Southern Song Dynasty was subjugated. The characteristics of those Ci writers were to build an intangible and virtual atmosphere as a home of soul, so they had similarities in times, situation and psychology with Zhu Yizun. Some other works of Zhu Yizun were about love between men and women. These works were graceful, delicate and sometimes sadly touching. From the plain and fresh words one can appreciate his profound accomplishments.