He was one of the first followers of the Hongwu Emperor, who rose to power during the Red Turban Rebellion and eventually founded the Ming dynasty.
With the support of his relative, Li Shanchang,[1] he rose through the ranks until he was appointed Grand Chancellor (丞相).
[2] In this capacity, he headed the Central Secretariat (中書省) and directed all civil administration of the Ming dynasty; in modern terminology, he was the Prime Minister.
At the end of 1379, he was removed from office and at the beginning of the following year, the deputy censor accused him of attempting to overthrow the emperor.
[2] Investigators soon constructed a picture of a conspiracy led by Hu, which, with the support of part of the army, as well as the Mongols and Japanese, aimed at a coup d'état, including the assassination of the emperor.