This chapter was intense, hilarious, and heart pumping all the same time. It also marks the second close-but-not-yet encounter between Liu Fu Ling and Yun Ge, and also the second time Meng Jue and Yun Ge get too close for comfort. We learn more about the current precarious political climate between Liu Fu Ling and his three power-hungry Regents, and … Continue reading →
The longer Yun Ge stays in Chang An, the more she’s going to get involved with the current political landscape of the capital. Different than when her parents lived there, when the Emperor wielded absolute power, right now there is a delicate balance between Liu Fu Ling and his three Regents. While Yun Ge came to find her Ling gege … Continue reading →
Look carefully. This might actually be the two leads for the OTP of the drama-adaptation of Yun Zhong Ge. I am honestly fine with this, LOL. Probably because the alternatives could be lot, A LOT, worse, considering the usual suspects Yu Zheng casts in his dramas. I tend to take Yumama’s casting leaks with a tiny bit more believability than … Continue reading →
This chapter KILLS me, the first of many such chapters where I just start twisting in a knot. For the first time in nine years, Liu Fu Ling and Yun Ge are so close, yet so far away. She’s cooking for him, the entire meal she’s been preparing to cook for Ling gege this entire time. But she does so … Continue reading →
Until I got around to translating, I’d had forgotten how beautiful in its playfulness volume 1 of Yun Zhong Ge was. Tong Hua crafts these scenes and imprints it indelibly on the reader’s memory. The fireflies becoming the stars on the ground, the dandelions becoming the snow in the palm, it all makes sense because Yun Ge is such a … Continue reading →
I know Meng Jue is impossible to figure out, and that’s just the way he is as a character and the way Tong Hua chooses to let his actions shed light on his motives rather than simply telling us. I can say that even until the very end of the novel, I’m not always certain whether some of his actions … Continue reading →
Reading Yun Zhong Ge, the devil is in the details and the conversations. So many shifts of expression, passing glances, things not said, which add layer upon layer to this story. My Ling gege finally makes his first adult appearance in this chapter, but sadly he doesn’t get to meet up with his Yun Ge yet. This chapter is just … Continue reading →
Okay, okay, I’ve decided to be super nice today. Here’s a quick character guide to the folks in Da Mo Yao and its somewhat sequel Yun Zhong Ge. I’ve kept it short and sweet, since discussing each character too much gives away plot points that might not otherwise be as clear. While DMY was pretty straightforward on who are the … Continue reading →
So I also got my third main male lead cast, Huang Xiaoming as Liu Bing Yi (aka Liu Xun). His tendency to over-emote with the crazy eyes will definitely come in handy in the latter half of this novel. But I think his arrogance and carefree vibe is perfect for Liu Bing Yi. I confess that the first time I … Continue reading →
You don’t need to have read Da Mo Yao to read Yun Zhong Ge, only that the tiny bits of the throwaway references might not be as relatable. But it does help to read up on your early Han history, gaining some perspective into the political machines of the era when Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che was deciding succession … Continue reading →
I found my two male leads for my novel translation of Yun Zhong Ge. I feel kinda giddy I can cast away whomever I want, just cuz I complain and moan each time an adaption casting turns out wonky, and for once I can do something about it in my neck of the woods. With Yang Mi as Yun Ge, I … Continue reading →
I’m not sure I’m translating all of Yun Zhong Ge, so don’t ask and definitely don’t expect it. It’s almost twice as long as Da Mo Yao in length, so thinking about it already gives me a headache. But I was in the mood to do a chapter so here it is. I have no clue who will play the … Continue reading →
Yun Zhong Ge (Song in the Clouds) is Tong Hua’s best period novel to date. Bu Bu Jing Xin was exquisite, but then she wrote the simple and sweeping Da Mo Yao likely to cheer herself up afterwards. Everything in DMY worked itself out too easily, but what if there was a love story so thrilling and gutwrenching that it … Continue reading →