尧 chose
舜, a commoner famed for devotion to his parents, as his successor instead of his own son, and
舜 later handed the throne to
禹 on merit too. Confucians held up this
禅让 (abdication to the worthy) as the golden age.
杜甫's youthful ambition was
致君尧舜上, to make his ruler greater than Yao and Shun.
