Career
He is also known under the courtesy name of Yifu (益甫) and his pseudonym (hào) of Lengjun (冷君), which he changed to Huishu (撝叔) and Bei"an (悲盦) respectively later in his life. Zhao was born in 1829 in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. He became a Xiucai at the age of 20, and obtained the title Juren in 1859 in Zhejiang provincial examination
With the outbreak of Taiping Rebellion in the following year, his political ambition was hindered.
During the rebellion, his family shattered, and a number of his art works as well as his collections were lost. Later, he went to Beijing for the national examinations
After repeated failures, he gave up his dream of becoming a government official He submitted a request to become an alternative governor of a county in Jiangxi Province.
He was remarried at 46, and had offspring.
Zhao died in 1884 at the age of 56.