The Zeng Clan Ancestor Zengzi (505-425 BC) was a Chinese philosopher, the disciple of Confucius, revered as one of the Four Sages of Confucianism. Under the guidance of Confucius, he became the author of The Classic of Filial Piety, a work that examined the importance of this tenet in the Confucian system. After the death of Confucius, Zengzi assembled disciples around him and preached the way of Confucius.