After Yao Chong's appointment as chancellor, he concurrently served as the Xia official (bingbu) Shangshu, assisted Wu Zetian, took the world as his post, inspected the frontier, straightened out border defenses, and strengthened combat readiness; Inspect Puzhou, renovate salt ponds, restore salt production, and meet the national economy and people's livelihood. In addition, he often sang and discussed poetry culture with Wu Zetianfu, and became an indispensable courtier in the political arena of the late Wuzhou Dynasty.
In June 704, while Yao Chong's loyalty and dedication were assisting the imperial government, his mother Liu Shi was bedridden. In order to take care of his mother, Yao Chong wrote to the imperial court and asked for his resignation and returned home to serve his mother.
Yao Chong's mother, Liu Shi, experienced hardships in her life, and when her son Yao Chong was 12 years old, her husband Yao Yi was martyred in the governor's mansion of the southwest frontier prefecture, and the burden of raising her children to grow up and maintain the family's life fell on her shoulders. She supported herself with hard work and hardship, and pinned her hopes on her two sons. Her hard work was not in vain, and the eldest son, Yao Chongguan, was the prime minister, and the second son, Yao Yuanjing, was very successful in his lawsuits, NongCheng and Zong Zheng Shaoqing. Later, the Yao family settled in Cihuifang, Luoyang, near the downtown in the southwest, Luoshui in the north, and yunqu in the east, with particularly beautiful scenery. When Yao Chong's political affairs were completed, he greeted an in the morning and evening, and his mother was also bitter and willing, and her heart was very satisfied.
From 701 to 703, Yao Chong was busy with government affairs, and his elderly mother had always rarely seen her son in Luoyang, and her heart was very much looking forward to it. Later, Yao Chong, on many occasions, accompanied the army on the Northern Expedition to fight against the Turks, and the old man was even more worried and restless, lest something happen to her son, so she leaned on the door morning and evening to wait for her son to return, and she became emaciated and fell ill in bed.
In 703, Wu Zetian led the Wenwu hundred officials back to Luoyang, and Yao Chong returned home to see his mother. When he saw his mother, who was old and white-haired, he felt very guilty and repeatedly stated to Wu Zetian in person, and wrote to the imperial court to plead with him to resign as prime minister and return home to serve his mother.
Yao Chongshang wrote: "Subjects who receive the grace of Your Majesty and are the most auxiliary subjects, even if they are crushed to pieces, they cannot repay the emperor's kindness." However, the old mother of the subject is eighty-one this year and lives daily. Out of fashion, teeth and hair are decreasing day by day. Morning and evening meals, the subject is not in the food: after the living and waiting, it is not unpleasant. If the subject wants to work hard to repay the imperial court, the old mother's nurturing grace cannot be repaid: if the subject serves the old mother with the same family, the emperor's favor cannot be repaid. For this reason, the subject wept bitterly and wept bitterly, was in the midst of western difficulties, and felt uneasy day and night. His Majesty's Imperial Grace spread far and wide, the Wise Ministers Manchu Dynasty, and the Great Peace of China and Abroad. He pleaded with the Holy Father to have mercy on the ministers and allow them to resign as prime minister in order to satisfy the selfish desires of the ministers to fulfill their filial piety and fulfill their wish to serve their mothers sooner or later. When you come to Japan, if you have a useful subject, you should repay the imperial court when you are on the ground. ”
Of course, the Civil and Military Officials did not understand Yao Chongci, because many of them still felt that they were small officials! However, Wu Zetian and Yao Mu were both elderly people, and after reading Yao Chong's letter, she was very sympathetic to Yao Chong's situation and also very understanding of Yao Chong. Since the imperial court has always advocated the rule of filial piety in the world, let's satisfy the wishes of a filial piety!
On June 7, 704, the Empress dowager agreed to Yao Chong's resignation and return home to serve his mother, but continued to serve his mother as the governor of the Xiang Dynasty, and retained the treatment of Sanpin
Yao Chong'en returned home to serve his mother every day, greet him in the morning and evening, eat and drink, serve soup and medicine, and fulfill the obligation of filial piety. Yao Mu finally smiled, ate well, slept soundly, greatly alleviated her condition, and enjoyed the joy of heaven.
However, only 20 days later, the imperial court recruited Yao Chongren again. After Yao Chong saw Wu Zetian, he repeatedly cried and complained, asking to continue to stay at home and serve the old mother. Wu Zetian said, "Yao Aiqing The military affairs of the imperial court are inseparable from you, a pillared minister!" Besides, don't you still have a younger brother in your family, let him serve the old man well, and do more filial piety for you! I hope that the state affairs will be the most important thing, and the council members of the DPRK will be the council!"
On 28 June, Wu Zetian resumed his position as prime minister. Yao Chong, only had to instruct his younger brother Yao Yuanjing to serve his mother, so he bid farewell to his old mother and went to the court. (Yao Xuemou)