Hú Shìníng 胡世寧 (1470–1531), zì Yǒngqīng 永清, posthumous Duānmǐn 端敏, was a senior Míng frontier official from Rénhé 仁和 (modern Hángzhōu, Zhèjiāng). He passed the jìnshì in Hóngzhì 6 / guǐchǒu 弘治癸丑 (1493). He served as a county-level tuīguān 推官 in his early career, where he repeatedly checked the abuses of the Qífān 岐藩 (Prince Qí establishment); as Bīngbù zhǔshì 兵部主事 he submitted a sharp memorial criticizing contemporary politics, and was associated with Lǐ Chéngxūn 李承勛, Wèi Xiào 魏校, and Yú Hù 余祜 as the Nándū sì jūnzǐ 南都四君子 (Four Worthies of the Southern Capital).
His most famous action was the impeachment of Prince Níng (Níngwáng) Zhū Chénhào 朱宸濠 while serving as Jiāngxī fùshǐ 江西副使, c. 1517 — well before Wáng Yángmíng’s 1519 suppression of the actual Níngwáng rebellion. The impeachment cost him his position and almost his life; he was driven into hiding by Zhū Chénhào’s agents, returning to office only after the 1519 rebellion’s suppression vindicated him. He thereafter rose under Jiājìng to Bīngbù shàngshū 兵部尚書 and was repeatedly involved in major impeachments — of the eunuchs Zhào Qīn 趙欽 and Gāng Cōng 剛聰 among others.
In the Dàlǐ yì (Great Ritual Controversy) Hú aligned with Zhāng Cōng 張璁 and Guì È 桂萼 in supporting the emperor’s position — the Sìkù tíyào notes this was a coincidence of opinion rather than factional alignment, since on every other matter he was at odds with Zhāng and Guì. The catalog meta gives lifedates 1469–1530; CBDB gives 1470–1531; the externally verified figures are followed here. Míng shǐ j. 199 has his biography. CBDB id 68242.
His memorials are preserved in the KR2f0021 Hú Duānmǐn zòuyì 胡端敏奏議 in 10 juàn. Many memorials in the collection are cízhí qǐbà 辭職乞罷 (resignation requests) — reflecting his impossible position between Zhū Chénhào, Liú Jǐn-era court eunuchs, and the post-coup Zhāng Cōng / Guì È administration.