Ye (鄴) was a fortified city in Wei commandery. After the defeat of Yuan Shao and his sons, Cao Cao chose Ye as his principal base, building palaces and storing grain there.
When Cao Pi declared himself emperor and founded Cao Wei, Ye served as the state’s main capital, symbolising the shift of power from the old Han centres to Cao Cao’s own stronghold. Only later did the court move back to Luoyang.