Wu County
Ye was born on 28 October 1894 in Wu County, Jiangsu province. His name at birth was Ye Shaojun (), and his courtesy name was Bingchen (). His father worked as a bookkeeper for a landlord and they lived a very modest life. When he was six years old, he entered a mediocre school for primary study. He often followed his father to work. He travelled around the city and experienced the lives of the poor.