bˈɔːɹn ɪn tʃˈæŋʒuː, ɪn mˈɑːdɚn dʒjɑːŋsˈuː pɹˈɑːvɪns, tʊ ɐ pɹˈɑːmɪnənt fˈæmɪli, ænd wʌz ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æz ɐ kənfjˈuːʃiən.
Born in Changzhou, in modern Jiangsu Province, to a prominent family, and was educated as a Confucian.