Zhou Yunyuan (周允元) (died January 29, 695), courtesy name Ruliang (汝良), was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefing serving as chancellor. It is not known when Zhou Yunyuan was born, but it is known that he was from Yu Prefecture (豫州, roughly modern Zhumadian, Henan). He passed the imperial examination in his youth. He became deputy imperial censor reviewing central government affairs (左肅政中丞, Zuo Suzheng Zhongcheng) in early 694, and in winter 694 Wu Zetian made him acting Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge). She also gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. Soon thereafter, Zhou and the assistant chief judge of the supreme court Huangfu Wenbei (皇甫文備) submitted