Yao Chong - During Emperor Xuanzong's Reign

During Emperor Xuanzong's Reign

In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji (as Emperor Xuanzong), but, at Princess Taiping's suggestion, retained most imperial powers as Taishang Huang (retired emperor). In 713, after Emperor Xuanzong, claiming that Princess Taiping was planning to kill him, carried out a reprisal against her, forcing her to commit suicide and executing many of her associates, Emperor Ruizong transferred his authorities to Emperor Xuanzong. In winter 713, Emperor Xuanzong carried out a major review of troops at Xinfeng (新豐, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), during which, due to the ceremony not being properly organized as it was supposed to be, he removed and exiled the chancellor Guo Yuanzhen, who was also minister of defense. While at the ceremony, Emperor Xuanzong met a number of prefectural prefects, including Yao Yuanzhi, who personally made 10 suggestions of how he should govern (now known in Chinese as 十事要說), and Emperor Xuanzong considered making Yao chancellor. The chancellor Zhang Yue, jealous of Yao, initially had the imperial censor Zhao Yanzhao submit articles of impeachment against Yao, but when that failed, had the official Jiang Jiao (姜皎), a close associate of Emperor Xuanzong, suggest that Yao should be made the commandant at Hedong (河東, in modern Yuncheng) -- which made Emperor Xuanzong suspicious that Zhang was behind the recommendation, and Jiang admitted that that was the case. The next day, Emperor Xuanzong summoned Yao to his presence and made him minister of defense and chancellor with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, and created him the Duke of Liang.

It was said that Yao was experienced and quick in his reaction, and that he had great knowledge of military matters. It was also said that he, more than other chancellors, took much effort to take responsibility for important matters, and thus was well-trusted by Emperor Xuanzong, who delegated the matters to him. (However, the biographies of other chancellors and key officials at the time also suggested that Yao was jealous of them and took actions to remove them from power by making false accusations against them—including Zhang, Liu Youqiu, and Zhong Shaojing, accusing Zhang of improper association with Emperor Xuanzong's brother Li Fan (李範) the Prince of Qi and accusing Liu and Zhong of complaining against Emperor Xuanzong for not giving them more important positions.) Around that time, Yao also stopped using the name Yuanzhi—initially changing back to Yuanchong, but then, because Emperor Xuanzong's era name was Kaiyuan, removed "Yuan" from his name and went by the name of Chong. Emperor Xuanzong also made him again the head of the legislative bureau (now with the title Ziwei Ling (紫微令), with the bureau itself renamed Ziwei Sheng (紫微省)).

Around that time, many men took tonsure to be Buddhist monks in order to avoid taxation and labor. In 714, Yao, pointing out that veneration of Buddhist monks did nothing to save Later Zhao, Later Qin, Northern Qi, and Liang Dynasty, suggested that Emperor Xuanzong order a thorough review of the ranks of Buddhist monks and nuns and force those who were not truly devout to return to civilian life and be subject to taxation and labors. Some 12,000, as a result, were forced to return to civilian life. Meanwhile, however, when Yao spoke against a campaign that the general and fellow chancellor Xue Na advocated against the Khitan, Emperor Xuanzong did not listen to him and had Xue attack Khitan anyway. (Xue's campaign eventually ended in failure in fall 714.) Yao and his fellow chancellor Lu Huaishen, meanwhile, also did much to try to eliminate the culture of the nobles exerting influence in civil service matters.

By this time, however, Yao was himself nearly caught in a scandal involving his sons' trying to influence the civil service system. Yao's fellow chancellor Wei Zhigu had previously been a subordinate of Yao's who had become progressively promoted to become chancellor with Yao. Yao had once offended Wei because he asked Wei to review the civil service commissions at Luoyang—but then had Song Jing, who was then the minister of civil service affairs, carry out a further review of Wei's actions. Meanwhile, while Wei was at Luoyang, two sons of Yao's, who were officials at Luoyang, because of the relationship that Yao and Wei previously had, accepted bribes from others and tried to influence Wei in his actions. After Wei returned to Chang'an, he reported this to Emperor Xuanzong—who then, on another occasion, tried to discreetly figure out the situation by asking Yao about his sons—and Yao, realizing what must have happened, indicated that it must be the case that his sons improperly tried to influence Wei. Emperor Xuanzong, in turn, became impressed that Yao was willing to admit this and displeased that Wei had tried to remove a former superior, initially wanting to exile Wei. At Yao's insistence that that not happen, he only removed Wei as a chancellor and made him the minister of public works (工部尚書, Gongbu Shangshu).

After Wei's removal (along with Xue's, after the defeat against Khitan), Yao and Lu were the only remaining chancellors, and Yao bore the brunt of the responsibilities. It was said that in 715, when Yao had to take about half a month of vacation due to his son's death, the important affairs stacked up at the legislative bureau, which Lu was unable to handle, and that once Yao returned from vacation, he was able to handle the matters quickly. Lu, realizing that he was not as capable as Yao, usually yielded to Yao in important matters, and the people at the time derogatorily referred to Lu as "the chancellor who simply ate together" (伴食宰相). Also that year, when there was a major locust infestation in central China, Yao advocated capturing and killing the locusts—a strategy that initially yielded no results, and Emperor Xuanzong considered abandoning it. Yao insisted on the strategy, and eventually this led to the improvement of the situation. Lu opined that killing many locusts may lead to disharmony in the spiritual world, but Yao stated that locusts were harming farmers and that he was willing to take any supernatural punishment for killing locusts. Later that year, when Emperor Xuanzong considered eliminating the posts of circuit-reviewing officials (按察使, Ancha Shi), Yao advocated keeping the posts, as he believed that it would be relatively easier to find people suitable to be these officials than to make sure that the prefectural prefects were all suitable officials without Ancha Shi reviewing their acts.

In 716, another locust infestation occurred, and Yao again ordered the capture and killing of locusts. Ni Ruoshui (倪若水), the prefect of Bian Prefecture (汴州, roughly modern Kaifeng, Henan), resisted the orders, claiming that Yao's strategy was carried out by the Han Zhao emperor Liu Chong and failed miserably, and that only if people in power enhanced their virtues could the locusts be eliminated; Ni went as far as refusing to have imperial censors enter Bian Prefecture to carry out the order. Yao wrote a formal order to Ni, stating:

Liu Chong was a false emperor, and he lacked virtues and thus could not suppress evil. Now, we have a holy emperor, whose virtues are sufficient to suppress evil. In ancient days, if there were virtuous local officials, locusts would not enter their territory. If just enhancing virtues would be sufficient to eliminate locusts, are you admitting that you are without virtues?

Ni thereafter did not dare to resist further.

In winter 716, Lu died, and Yuan Qianyao became chancellor to serve alongside Yao. Around this time, Yao suffered a bout of malaria, and as he did not have a mansion in Chang'an, stayed at Wangji Temple (罔極寺). While Yao was ill, Emperor Xuanzong often sent eunuchs to look after Yao and had Yuan go to Wangji Temple to consult Yao. It was said that when Yuan made suggestions to Emperor Xuanzong that satisfied Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Xuanzong would state, "This must be the will of Yao Chong," and that whenever Yuan made suggestions that Emperor Xuanzong was dissatisfied about, Emperor Xuanzong would state, "Go consult with Yao Chong first." Around the new year 717, at Yuan's suggestion, Yao was moved from Wangji Temple to the imperial diplomatic pavilion Sifang Pavilion (四方館), where foreign diplomats would stay when they visited Chang'an, allowing Yao to be closer to the palace—a suggestion that Yao initially declined since he did not believe it appropriate for an ill person to stay there, but which he agreed to at Emperor Xuanzong's insistence.

However, at that time, Yao's sons Yao Yí (姚彞) and Yao Yì (姚异) (note different characters and tones), who were both deputy ministers at this time, often received gifts from others, something that the popular opinion at the time criticized them and Yao Chong for. Meanwhile, Yao Chong's associate Zhao Hui (趙誨) was found to have accepted bribes from foreigners, a crime punishable by death but which Yao tried to save him from death for, displeasing Emperor Xuanzong. At that time, Emperor Xuanzong was set to declare a pardon for the criminals of Chang'an, but Emperor Xuanzong modified his pardon to specifically exclude Zhao, ordering that Zhao be caned 100 times and then exiled to the Lingnan region. Yao, in fear, offered to resign and recommended Song to succeed him. Emperor Xuanzong thus removed Yao and Yuan from their chancellor posts—with Yao receiving the honorific title Kaifu Yitong Sansi (開府儀同三司) but no other offices. Song and Su Ting became chancellors to succeed Yao and Yuan. In 717, after Yao made a comment that pleased Emperor Xuanzong, blaming the collapse of a hall of the imperial ancestral temple on the wood being too old rather than on divine displeasure, Yao became restored to Emperor Xuanzong's good graces and, while not made chancellor again, was allowed to meet Emperor Xuanzong once every five days.

Yao died in 721. He wrote a will to his sons that disapproved the possibility of a Buddhist or Taoist funeral, stating:

Buddhism pursues cleanliness and mercy, but many foolish people seek blessings by copying sutras and building buddha statutes. In the past, Qi and Zhou had the realm divided. Zhou burned the sutras, destroyed the statutes, organized its troops, and strived hard to strengthen itself, while Qi built temples and towers everywhere and erected statutes, such that the law and governance were all disregarded. When the states battled, Qi was destroyed and Zhou rose. In recent years, the Wus and the Weis built temples and encouraged innumerable people to become monks and nuns, but this did not prevent those two clans from being destroyed. Do not follow those unknowing foolish men and women, burning incense and reciting sutras to beg for supernatural blessings. Taoist monks, seeing the examples of how Buddhist monks preside at funerals and earn moneys, have followed their example and been reciting texts as well. Do not invite them either. This will of mine should be followed by my descendants for generations.