Yang Guang became emperor in [[604]], possibly after arranging to remove his brothers from the line of succession. As emperor, he rebuilt the Imperial capital of [[Luoyang]], and completed the Grand Canal linking the relatively desolate north with the lush, agriculturally productive south. The vast amount of conscripted labor involved in these projects is said to have helped consolidate the cultures of north and south, as laborers from different parts of the empire traveled great distances to work on these projects, interacting with people along the way, as well as in the locations where they were put to work. | Yang Guang became emperor in [[604]], possibly after arranging to remove his brothers from the line of succession. As emperor, he rebuilt the Imperial capital of [[Luoyang]], and completed the Grand Canal linking the relatively desolate north with the lush, agriculturally productive south. The vast amount of conscripted labor involved in these projects is said to have helped consolidate the cultures of north and south, as laborers from different parts of the empire traveled great distances to work on these projects, interacting with people along the way, as well as in the locations where they were put to work. |