What role did the Bian Canal play during the Sui dynasty?

During the Sui dynasty, the New Bian Canal served as a vital component of a grand infrastructure project initiated by Emperor Yangdi in 605 to unify the empire and integrate the south more firmly into the Chinese state.12

In the context of Anhui, the canal flowed through Suxian and served as a major line of communication, linking the capital at Luoyang with the Huai River and the southern capital of Jiangdu (modern Yangzhou) on the Yangtze River. By connecting these major river systems, the canal provided a crucial trunk route that allowed the government to transport resources, such as grain, from the agriculturally rich southern regions to the northern capital and military frontiers.1234

While the canal was essential for maintaining a unified empire, its construction was an immense, inordinately expensive undertaking that relied on the forced labor of a million people working under appalling conditions. This heavy toll on the population left a lasting legacy of social unrest and disaffection with the Sui government.124