Hu Ze (963-1039), courtesy name Zizheng, was a native of Yongkang and was an honest and upright official during the Northern Song Dynasty. He was once praised by Chairman Mao Zedong, and the Hu Residence near Longjing Spring of West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou was built in accordance with his fame.

Hu served as an official for 47 years, covering three reigns: Taizong (r. 976-997), Zhenzong (r. 997-1022), and Renzong (r. 1022-1063). He worked as administrator in ten prefectures, including Xunzhou (nowadays Guiping, Guangxi), Muzhou (nowadays Jiande, Zhejiang), Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, and Chenzhou (nowadays Lanling, Shandong), and held several positions, including councilor of the ministry of revenue, secretary-general of the ministry of rites, assistant minister of the ministry of works, assistant minister of the ministry of war, and chancellor of the treasury.

He is also renowned for being benevolent in governance, lenient in inflicting sentences, and apt to reduce taxes, eliminate corrupt practices, and benefit the people. Hu was an official in charge of transportation in the Guangnan West Circuit when a foreign merchant ship loaded with cargo was typhooned into Qiongzhou, Hainan. Unable to turn his back to a moribund person, Hu ordered the Qiongzhou Government to "loan three million" to the foreign merchant fleet. Eventually, the foreign fleet honored the promise, repaid the loan, and the news spread around. The result was that a large number of foreign merchant fleets began to engage in trade in the region, increasing the trade volume tenfold. Hu was then decorated by the court.

胡则（963-1039年），字子正，婺州永康，是北宋时期的一名清官，曾受到毛泽东主席的赞扬，杭州西湖龙井泉附近的胡公馆便是根据他的传说而建的。

他一生做了四十七年官，历任太宗、真宗、仁宗三朝，先后知浔州、睦州、温州、福州、杭州、陈州等十州，任尚书户部员外郎、礼部郎中、工部侍郎、兵部侍郎、权三司使等官职。

胡则力仁政，宽刑狱，减赋税，除弊端，惠黎民。胡则出任广南西路转运使，一艘满载货物的外国商船遇台风漂泊到海南岛的琼州。外商找到正在琼州视察的胡则，胡则考虑到“睦邻抚远”是朝廷的国策，不能见死不救，就下令由琼州府给外国商船“贷钱三百万”。后来这艘外国商船恪守信用，而且这一事情传播开去后，外国商船来得更多了，贸易额增长了十倍，胡则因此得到了朝廷的嘉奖。