历任唐三朝宰相之位的姚崇自奉俭约，清廉寡欲，主张“与其浊富，宁比清贫”，带头移风易俗。他身为宰相，却不置府第，住在离朝廷很远的地方。上朝处理完公事，往往因路远，天黑前不能回家，就住在附近的罔极寺里。开元四年，姚崇因儿子广通宾客，受人馈赠，觉得自己身为宰相，愧对国家，便自请辞职。开元九年，姚崇因病去世，留下遗嘱，要求自己死后入殓，只穿平常衣服，一切从俭，并告诫子孙：“汝等身没之后，亦应由子孙依吾此法。”

Yao Chong, who served as the prime minister under the rule of three emperors in the Tang Dynasty, was frugal and uncorrupt. He advocated that “It is better to live a simple life than to pursue wealth through dishonest means” and took the lead in changing the existing prevailing customs. Although he was a prime minister, he did not have his own mansion and lived far away from the imperial court. He usually lived in the Wangji Temple nearby when he was off duties because he could not arrive home before dark. In the fourth year of the Kaiyuan period, because of his son’s excessive access to guests and the gifts received from others, Yao Chong felt guilty for the court and resigned from the office. In the ninth year of Kaiyuan when he was dying of illness, Yao Chong left a will, asking his descendants to dress him with only ordinary clothes and be frugal in mourning. What’s more, he warned his descendants, “At your death, you should also ask your descendants to follow this rule.”