Song Ruoxin

Song Ruoxin (768-820) was a Chinese Confucian scholar and poet. She was the eldest of five sisters, who all became employed as official poets at the Imperial court: Song Ruozhao (770-825), Song Ruoxian (772-835), Song Ruolun and Song Ruoxun.

She was the daughter of the scholar Song Tingfen in Hebei and was given a high education by her father. In 788, she and her sisters were all taken to court to be tested about their knowledge within Confucianism, History and the Classics. They excelled and was each given an office at court and employed as official court poets, performing their poetry at court festivities. She and her sisters were highly respected at court, referred to by the emperor as teacher-scholars and never treated as concubines. Song Ruoxin was in 791 given charge of the office of accounts and books. She also wrote a book about female morality.