Nearly 400 years of turmoil began to bear fruit toward the end of the sixth century. China was on the threshold of the golden age.
The Sui dynasty of 40 years preceded the brilliance of the Tang dynasty. Yang Chien was the first emperor and founder of Sui. He consolidated his power by distributing land, reducing taxes and ending the military draft. Chien improved economics by standardizing weights, currency, and measures. Chien diluted the power of noble family by starting a bureaucracy made up of candidates from all regions of China.
During his reign only bureaucrats were between the people and the centralized emperor. Chien maintained an army made up of half a million troops that protected China from the West and East Turks had threatened China borders. In religion, Sui dynasty promoted Buddhism to the people. There were 4,00 temples and monasteries manned by a quarter of a million monks. Emperor Chien believed in saving. He filled his storehouses with grain. Later in life Chien became paranoid of being overthrown. This will lead him to kill his top aides. His son will murder Chien.
Emperor Yang squandered the wealth accumulated by his father on a life of luxury. During his reign he built 40 palaces for his pleasure and when he tired of them had more constructed. For the people he built highways and mad additions to the great wall. His greatest achievement was the Grand Canal, a 1500-mile waterway that united the Yellow, Yangtze and Huai rivers. The canal took six years to complete. This led to an increase in trade from North to South. Yang will spend 11 years of his 12 year reign traveling the rivers on tours. Yang will attempt the conquest of Korea, which his father failed to do. It fails; of Yang's 350,000 member army only 2700 will return to China. This failure will led to discontent and Yang will be killed by his aides.
Tang Dynasty.
Li Yuan will be the first emperor of Tang. He will give up his throne to his son, Tai Tsung.
