Song in the Clouds (Love Yunge from the Desert) 云中歌 by Tong Hua (BE)

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• I'm surprised the discussion here is empty! Let me start the ball rolling then :)

  I couldn't like this novel. There, I've said it. Yet I savored over it, cried alongside it and my heart bled till the last drop. Because it started out as something but ended very differently from how it started. Its titled 雲中歌 but somehow I don't feel that it was a story on clouds, song or even Yun Ge! Yes, she's the daughter of my beloved Jin Yu and Huo QuBing (my favourite couple in Tong Hua's novel simply because they were freaking functional!) and yes the title supposedly has the words to name but I just don't see how she is the main character. She did absolutely nothing! In fact I even feel Huo Cheng Jun did more and had more character development than Yun Ge!

  I was totally spent when I eventually finished the book. What I had expected to be a reunion became a separation. I had thought the story revolves around Yun Ge and Liu Fu Ling but I was proven wrong again. But that's the beauty of Tong Hua's storytelling - it doesn't bring you to where you want to go but where she wants to go. At the end of the journey, I think I came to terms with the entire process - I may not have wanted to end up there but i guess it was the best ending Tong Hua had thought out. There's a Chinese saying "虚无＂and that was what I felt after finishing this book.

  Last I just want to end by saying that my favorite character is actually Xu Ping Jun. For being so resilient yet so true to herself, for being so sacrificial for the ones she love and for having such a beautiful soul despite the things life threw at her. Liu Che didn't deserve her but Liu Bing Yi did, and that's all mattered to her

  Sorry for the long post. So apparently a book which can't make me like it still evokes so much afterthoughts

  • Hi, I like this book because I cried the most reading it:) The lack of discussion is because most of the scholars hanging out here have not read or finished the book because they've been spoilt of the ending. Also, you'll find plenty of discussions on the 2 English translation site.

    雲中歌 sound melancholy so I already expected it to be a tear jerker which is true to form. Although Yun Ge didn't do much in the story, she is the catalyst of all the events in the book. Because of her sheltered upbringing & personality, she is a much more passive character compared to her mum. Yet, I do see growth in her character albeit slowly, from an optimistic naive young girl to a world weary woman.

    I admire Tong Hua for her ability to seamlessly weave this story into the dynastic setting. By mixing historical figures with some fictional characters, she brought history alive for me to learn & understand. She is also very good at writing heart wrenching scenes & able to squeeze every last drop of tears from me:( After I finished the novel, I feel empty & spent & took ages to recover. However this book with all the characters will be forever ingrained in my heart & mind.

    My fav character is Meng Jue. Yah, I know most people like Ling ge'ge & I also like him for his devotion to Yun Ge as well as his people. But I think he is much more fortunate than MJ even though he died because he has Yun Ge lifelong love. MJ is such a sad & complex character from the 1st to the last chapter.He is full of pretense and lies (all for survival) yet his love for YG is so sincere.Although I was mad at MJ for two-timing and lying to YG, but after finding out more and more about his back story I just can’t help but cried for him:(

    • Ya I know how you felt. I read up on the Han Dynasty history after finishing both this book and Da Mo Yao simply because of how Tong Hua weaved in history with fiction =)

      I will want to disagree that Yun Ge catalysed the events in the book. Maybe so for Liu Fu Ling because he loved her so selflessly, although we can argue that basically what he did was selfless, be it for Yun Ge or for his people. What fueled Meng Jue and Liu Che was pure ambition. Yes, Meng Jue did love Yun Ge but we can't deny that his initial intention was to use her to reach his purpose. It was until I read Tong Hua's letter to him then I can fully understand and accept him as... him.

      And where do I start on Liu Che? As much as he sort of justified (thru one conversation with Meng Jue) his intentions & actions stemmed from how much he wants his son to lead a life different from his, I still found his eventual actions as selfish and self-gratifying.
      I actually like how the final chapter ended because it's so satisfying on my end to read about his ending. Okay, that sounds mean...

      • Heehee, I also read up the history online & saw Ling ge'ge's portrait, faint:(

        Liu Che? I think you got poor Liu Bingyi's (Liu Xun) name mix up with the grand dad. You really love Da Mo Yao very much:P It is true LBY & MJ are both ambitious men but it is YG who gave them the means to acheive their aim. It is because of YG, Liu Bingyi come into contact with Ling ge'ge & get to rtn to the palace. It is because of YG, MJ rejected HCJ resulting in her marrying LBY for revenge. Everything that happened sort of connected to YG directly or indirectly. Without her, MJ will probably marry HCJ, LBY will still be a peasant & Ling ge'ge still the king.

        I agree MJ has dishonorable intentions in his dealings with YG but everything he did throughout the novel for her more than enough redeem himself in my eyes. As for LBY, I don't have any sympathy for him at all. He is already fortunate enough to be alive when MJ's brother died in his place. He should be grateful & satisfied that Ling ge'ge let him return to the palace yet the evil him killed my Ling ge'ge:(

        • Hah! I didn't even receive my mistake until u pointed it out! All my night reading up on Han dynasty = fail!!

          Have u read Tong Hua's letter to Liu Fu Ling?? She's so in love with him that she's so broken over the lack of his literary works. I love seeing him through her eyes instead of through Yun Ge's eyes (though theoretically that was through Tong Hua's eyes too)

  • I can't read Chinese so I've only read the English translated version:( According to Ms Koala, TH loves MJ the most because he is her most flesh out creation. I think TH loves Hua Qu Bing more than Ling ge'ge. It is just my feelings after reading both the books.

    Btw, you can read Chinese right? I am wondering if you know if TH revised the ending of MJ in her latest publication as I read somewhere, someone asked this question. Also, do you know what is the original ending which she had in mind for MJ? Currently, MJ's ending is sort of open-ended, depending on your interpretation.

    • I thought mj died. Why is it open?

      Lol i wonder why tonghua didn't rewrite ling-gege's fate, she spared hqb, why not this guy also? I wonder if tonghua has a happy sad happy sad pattern. She wrote dmy cause she was too sad after writing the previous novel. I hope she does.

      • You assumed MJ died only:P The book didn't explicitly say he died, no funeral & no corpse. Btw, I am not 100% sure the book didn't say he died, just that I didn't hear that part so I take it as such, haha..He was shot by arrows & fell into the stream. There is hope he is still alive:)

        That is because TH loves HQB more than Ling gege which is in my opinion. If she wants, she could also fake the death of Ling gege & let him have a happy ending with YG. Author is also human. Like us, after we read a sad story, we'll want to read the next happy one.

• I think the first chapter of Yun Zhong Ge's sequel was released/leaked: http://book.kanunu.org/files/yuanchuang/201102/1421.html

  The book is called Sorrow Relieving Tune. So maybe it will have a happy ending?

  Brief summary of first chapter:

  An old tea shop owner, Wang Lao Han, is taking care of his shop and looks for a 'yellow dragon' (dust cloud kicked up by traveling horses and carts) from far away and expects that any traveler will stop by the shop because his tea shop is the only resting place for several miles. But from the signs of the dust, he expects that no guests will arrive for a while. A short while later, an older woman comes in and asks for tea. Wang Lao Han looks up and thinks to himself, perhaps I estimated wrong? He serves the tea and the woman hands a cup over to the young miss in the cart. Wang Lao Han sees her beautiful hand and can't help but stare a little bit.
  Another traveler stops by and asks for tea. Wang Lao Han is surprised, did he estimate wrong again? This traveler is a young man with an extraordinary horse. But the man's eyes are bright and black, causing his heart to shiver as if blown by a cold wind.
  Wang Lao Han sees a 'yellow dragon' approaching and prepared more tea, but when he sees who is amongst that 'yellow dragon', he hurriedly tells the woman not to drink anymore and to leave quickly. The woman gets angry, telling him that they were planning to pay, saying that he is looking down upon them. He only rushes them more. The woman tries to get the horse to start moving, but it refuses to. The woman wails that even the animal is bullying them and moves to whip the horse, but the girl in the cart stops her.
  By this time, the shadow from the 'yellow dragon' has already reached the tea shop and upon seeing the girl, that person offers to give her his two horses. The old tea shop owner sighs to himself, thinking that he tried to save them, but the heavens wouldn't allow him to. The girl politely declines but the evil tyrant continues to bother them. Wang Lao Han has seen this many times before - it was a story of beautiful woman who will suffer an unhappy fate.

  • I hope it's a happy ending. She should do a happy sad happy sad pattern, that way we won't be in too much pain. Wonder who this book will be about.

  • Huh, who is the sequel abt? Yun Ge's 3rd brother? Still on the Han dynasty or entirely new story?

    • Still in the Han Dynasty, but I'm not sure who it's about. There only seems to be one really short chapter leaked.

      If I had to guess, this would take place during Emperor Yuan (son of Liu Xun/Liu Bing Yi by Xu Ping Jun). One of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, Wang Zhao Jun, appears during Yuan's reign, and ends up marrying the Chanyu Huhanye, so there is plenty of storyline there. But Tong Hua seems to like fictional female leads, while using historical male leads, so anything's possible. I just know for sure that the story takes place in the Han Dynasty's Chang An. I want to know how she is going to tie this with HQB, Yu'er, or Yun Ge.

      • She'll amaze us. That i'll never doubt.

        I almost thought that Wang Zhao Jun was the Yan Ji that Yu Jing's father liked, but when I researched after assuming that found out that they were some generations apart.

      • hehe ever since Grand Dream of Spring-Autumn I actually look forward to any twists on the Four Beauties.

        Haven't read YZG, I'm actually kind of scared of even picking it up since everyone says it's so depressing. But does Yun Ge even have a kid with Meng Jue? Didn't both the male leads die?

        • She almost had a kid with Liu Fu Ling, but Meng Jue forced her to abort it. I think the Liu Bing Yi forced him to?

        • Don't think the story is abt the offspring of Yun Ge. She has 2 older brothers so could be on them or Liu Bing Yi's son.

• Yeah, got spoiled about that from watching an over-detailed trailer xP
  That's the thing with trailers, esp. those ones with dialogue!!! After watching, basically don't need to read. Passed on so many dramas because of trailers spilling every little plot twist. But Tonghua.... i really don't know. Will definitely read YZG if I'm itching to shed some tears haha.

• chancy426:
  She almost had a kid with Liu Fu Ling, but Meng Jue forced her to abort it. I think the Liu Bing Yi forced him to?

  I say that Meng Jue was protecting her. Should Yun ge usually deliver the child, Liu xun might kill her too

• Peanuts:
  You assumed MJ died only:P The book didn’t explicitly say he died, no funeral & no corpse. Btw, I am not 100% sure the book didn’t say he died, just that I didn’t hear that part so I take it as such, haha..He was shot by arrows & fell into the stream. There is hope he is still alive:)

  That is because TH loves HQB more than Ling gege which is in my opinion. If she wants, she could also fake the death of Ling gege & let him have a happy ending with YG. Author is also human. Like us, after we read a sad story, we’ll want to read the next happy one.

  Hmmm I don't know. I actually thought she loves Liu Fu ling and Meng Jue more than Huo Qu bing. She did write somewhere that she couldn't believed that xiao Huo was a person who would pass on so young in life thus she re-wrote his "ending" in da mo Yao.

  For Liu Fu ling... I think she accepted his early passing? Even though she did have her doubts on why someone as smart as him did not leave a more open will behind. Why I think she likes him more is in how she hated the little of him which history has records of... She was lamenting on how hard it was to find his literary works in her letter to him which I thought was so sweet. If someone we love dies, we would surely want a piece of him to stay with us, which was what i felt Tong Hua wanted from Liu Fu ling

• SPOILER

  In summary Yun Ge met Liu Fu Ling who is the emperor when he was lost in the desert at a young age. She led him out of the desert & promised to go to Chang An to look for him when she grew up. When she went there, she mistaken Liu Bing Yi who is the cousin of Liu Fu Ling as her Ling gege and thought that he has forgotten abt her. Thus, she is heartbroken. In actual fact, Ling gege has never forgotten abt her & waited many yrs for her. At that time she met Meng Jue who is very sweet to her & helped her to pick up the pieces so they fell in love. But Meng Jue was tempted by power & bcos of his sad family background to marry Huo Cheng Jun (Huo Qu Bing's niece). Yun Ge felt betrayed when she found this out as well as Meng Jue has been doing a lot of things behind her back just to get to know her. She left Chang An but on her way home was injured but rescued by Ling gege. Thus they reunited but cannot live happily ever after because he got poisoned by Liu Bing Yi and died:( Yun Ge lost their baby bcos Meng Jue made her drink the medicine which is for her own good as Liu Bing Yi who is now the emperor will never let her keep the baby. Yun Ge also suspected MJ poisoned LGG so married him to take revenge. Later, she found out the truth, decided to let go so left Chang An. Meng Jue is killed by Liu Bing Yi because he knew too much abt his past.

  Sorry, I am not doing justice to this story bcos my summary is really crappy as I am lazy:P Suffice to say, I love Ling gege & Meng Jue equally much & will not think twice on marrying them, lol. For better summary, pls read Koala & Sparkskey one from the links below. Both of them have been doing a good job in translating this book which you must read with a box of tissue beside you. It is a lot more complicated & captivating than what I wrote. Koala's translation is more like a well written summary whereas sparkskey translates words for words. I think you should read the English translated version. The book is really long & I think both of them have translated abt 70% of the book so by next year it should be finished. There is no overlap in their translations.

  http://sparkskey.livejournal.com/60127.html#comments
  http://koalasplayground.com/2012/03/03/introduction-to-the-soul-searing-yun-zhong-ge-by-tong-hua/

• Chen Xiao is Liu Bing Yi, so I gonna ship him, lol.

  I love Chen Xiao but I must admit that I was initially more excited about YZG drama when he was supposedly originally cast as Liu Fu Ling (my Ling gege!! <3). But Liu Bing Yi = more screen time & more fanservice for us fangirls.

  uuughs, not hating on the drama adaptation but I get the feeling that Yu Zheng might have done it again and ruined another drama. No offense, but Angelababy cannot act for one thing. And Du Chun is neither good-looking, mesmerizing, nor charismatic enough to be Meng Jue! Lu Yi as Liu Fu Ling? Biggest disappointment! He looks nowhere to be 20 years old...

• I like my Ling gege too but he died so Liu Bing Yi is better as he lives & gets to become the emperor. Anyway YZ is not gonna follow the book closely so the drama Ling gege is probably not as swoon worthy as the book Ling gege.

  Yup Baby cannot act but at least she is pretty to look at, lol. Since Chen Xiao is not Ling gege, I can fast fwd her storyline with Ling gege & MJ to concentrate on CX, lol. I've never liked YZ casts except CX & ZLY.

• I was so deadset on Chen Xiao and Zhao Liying being Ling Gege and Yun Ge that it was so heartbreaking. While I'm ok with Angelababy being Yun Ge (at least she looks the part, and knowing Yu Zheng, it could have been much much worse), Du Chun as Meng Jue was super fail and Lu Yi was NOT the Ling Gege I had in mind. I don't think I'll be watching when it comes out...not gonna destroy my mental image of these characters. I will have to say that Yang Rong as Huo Chengjun is an amazing choice. Wow that woman can look evil and gorgeous at the same time.

  Seriously, Chen Xiao and Yang Rong are the only two from Yu Zheng's studio that I like. They really should get away from him if they want to be taken seriously as artists.

• I really love this book although my tear drop on every pages. However, i think that it's the best way for Yun Ge to keep her love in her heart!

  Remember when Ling Ge Ge led Yun Ge to climb the mountain to see the first view of sunrise. When Yun Ge is at the top, Ling Ge Ge isn't yet. Yun Ge cried for him to hurry up and wanted to drag him up but he refuse. He wants her to stay there looking at the beautiful view of the 1st time that the sun rise up, saying that if she go down to help him up then both of them will miss the sunrise together and their effort for climbing is useless. She should watch it herself and then she can tell him about it later.

  It's the way Yun Ge used her life after his death. She wants to travels around the world, write receip book, and remember all the view around her then she can tell what she saw, what she did to her Ling Ge Ge later on......

  The one I doubt is that Tong Hua wrote her 3 novels in the same way. Bu bu jing xin, Da mo yao, and Yun zhong ge! The protagonist is a girl who is a happy and kind-hearted but careless in some ways. She began immature days by days and the main character boy is a cold heart man and always change his expression with the main girl role.

  One more thing, TH set the girl fall in love with one by one and it's cleared that she will broke her heart before she love the second and the 2nd man she loved will be her choice in her entire life. Anyone who think about this?