Gao Yao (), also known as Jiu Tao (咎陶), Gao Yao (皋繇) or Jiu Yao (咎繇), was the Minister for Law of Emperor Shun in Youyu clan-era China according to tradition. Gao Yao became a political senior advisor of Yu the Great. His father was Shaohao. He was considered the ancestor of the imperial house of Li of the Tang dynasty, which honoured him with the posthumous name Emperor Deming ().范祖禹《唐鑑·卷九》：（天寶）二年三月追尊周上御大夫為先天太皇，臯繇為德明皇帝。
In traditional historiography
Gao Yao served Emperor Shun very early into his reign, being recruited in the latter's third year to devise punishments and laws. Western Han scholar Shi You records these as prisons, which is annotated in the Guangyun as being two types called youfei () and one called youtu (). 西汉史游《急就章》记载:“皋陶造狱法律存。”《廣韵》彭氏注中记载:“皋陶作狱，其制为圆，象斗，墙曰囿扉，名曰囿土。” The Book of Documents records Gao Yao as putting the Five Punishments into practice against the manyi ().
Later in the Book of Documents, Gao Yao has a dedicated chapter, detailing him giving counsel to Yu the Great. Here, he defines nine moral powers () as a balance between seemingly opposing traits: Broad-minded yet discerning () Gentle yet firm () Honest yet respectful () Chaotic yet reverent () Yielding yet steadfast () Upright yet warm () Simple yet meticulous () Bold yet substantial () Resolute yet just ()
Gao Yao is cited as remonstrating Shun: "Heaven can see and hear, and does so through the eyes and ears of the people; Heaven rewards the virtuous and punishes the wicked, and does it through the people."«New Vitality from Cultural Regeneration» , Taiwan Review, Vol. 57, No. 12, Dec. 2007
Taiping Yulan, a later sources, records Gao Yao as having served Qi of Xia, giving now-lost quotes from the Guicang and Records of the Grand Historian.《太平御覽》卷八二引《歸藏》曰：“昔夏后啟筮享神于大陵而上鈞臺，枚占皋陶曰：不吉。”《史記》曰：“昔夏后啟筮乘龍以登於天，枚占于皋陶曰：吉而必同，與神交通。以身為帝，以王四鄉。”
Identification with Ye the Great Some Chinese scholars have argued he is the same person as Ye the Great, said by Sima Qian to have been the father of Fei the Great who was later known as Boyi. Ye was reckoned as one of the ancestors of the House of Ying in the Qin and of the ruling house of Zhao. Gao Yao is sometimes considered the father of Boyi.
References