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The Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1368 to 1398.As famine, plagues and peasant revolts increased across China in the 14th century, Zhu Yuanzhang rose to command the forces that conquered China, ending the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and forcing the Mongols to retreat to the Eurasian Steppe.