How did Jiangnan help supply grain to China's capital during the Ming and Qing dynasties?

During the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911/12) dynasties, the Jiangnan region served as a vital agricultural hub for the Chinese empire. As a major rice-surplus area, it was responsible for supplying two-fifths of the tribute tax grain required to feed the capital and the imperial standing armies in northern China.1

This grain was transported to the capital primarily via the Grand Canal, an extensive system of waterways that linked the fertile Yangtze and Huai river valleys to the north. The canal functioned as a critical logistical artery, allowing successive regimes to move massive quantities of surplus grain over long distances. The section of the canal south of the Yangtze, known as the Jiangnan Yunhe, played a key role in this network by facilitating the movement of goods through major commercial centers like Suzhou toward the rest of the canal system.2