Hu's family was of Persian extraction (though he was almost certainly of mixed Persian-Chinese blood), having come to China through the Silk Road and settled in Anhui as simple you tiao vendors. Hu joined the army of Zhu Yuanzhang sometime around the fall of the Yuan Dynasty. After Zhu's forces crossed the Yangtze they captured all of southern Anhui, most of Zhejiang, and other surrounding areas. Hu received positions of leadership and led troops which defeated rival warlord Yang Wanzhe, leading other Miao chieftains Jiang Ying, Liu Zhen, and Li Fu to surrender. Hu served as administrator of the entire Jiangnan region, and was responsible for safeguarding the Jinhua area of Zhejiang.