As of spring 690, when Wu Zetian was empress dowager and regent over Emperor Ruizong, Wu Youning was serving as Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge), when she made him Nayan (納言) -- the head of the examination bureau (鸞臺, Luantai) and a post considered one for a chancellor.
Later that year, when she had Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her and took the throne herself as "emperor" of a new Zhou dynasty, interrupting Tang dynasty, she created a large number of her Wu clan relatives imperial princes, and Wu Youning was created the Prince of Jianchang.
In fall 692, as a part of a major reorganization of her government, Wu Zetian made him the minister of public works (冬官尚書, Dongguan Shangshu), no longer a chancellor.
In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup led by the officials Zhang Jianzhi, Cui Xuanwei, Jing Hui, Huan Yanfan, and Yuan Shuji.
He died early in the Shenlong era (705-707), while serving as the prefect of Qi Prefecture (岐州, roughly modern Baoji, Shaanxi).