I’ve always been fascinated by how rulers of the past viewed the balance between destiny and choice. When it comes to Wu Zetian — the only woman to rule China in her own name — her actions and writings suggest a complex view of free will.

She believed in it — but with a caveat. Wu Zetian saw free will as something that must align with order, merit, and cosmic harmony. She didn’t see individual freedom as absolute; rather, it was intertwined with duty to the state and moral conduct.

She Used Buddhism to Justify Her Rule — and Her Choices

Wu Zetian championed Buddhism, and in doing so, she tapped into its teachings on karma — the idea that our choices shape our future. She used this belief to justify her unprecedented rise to power. If karma is the result of past actions, then her current position must reflect past-life virtue. This reasoning gave her a spiritual framework to assert that her decisions, even radical ones like becoming emperor, were not just permissible but fated.

She Rewarded Merit Over Birth

One of the clearest signs of her belief in personal agency was her reform of the civil service. Wu Zetian promoted individuals based on talent rather than noble birth. She believed people could shape their own destinies through effort and skill. This opened doors for capable men — and in some cases, even women — to rise in government, reinforcing the idea that fate wasn’t fixed by birth.

She Saw the Empress as Heaven’s Mirror

Yet, Wu Zetian also held that the ruler acted as the earthly reflection of cosmic order. In this view, the empress had the freedom to act, but only in ways that maintained harmony. Her own rule was justified by claiming that Heaven had granted her the Mandate to restore balance. In that sense, free will was real — but bounded by cosmic duty.

If you’re curious how a woman who defied tradition understood personal freedom, you can talk to Wu Zetian on HoloDream and ask her directly.