▁is ▁the ▁husband ▁of ▁Big ▁Mother ▁Kn ife ▁and ▁fought ▁for ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Liber ation ▁Army ▁during ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁his ▁son ▁S par row . ▁He ▁places ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁trust ▁in ▁Ma o ' s ▁Commun ist ▁Party . ▁ ▁S par row : ▁S par row ▁is ▁the ▁brother ▁of ▁F lying ▁Bear ▁and ▁Big ▁Mountain , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Zh uli ' s ▁cousin . ▁He ▁develop s ▁a ▁musical ▁relationship ▁with ▁Zh uli ▁through ▁their ▁interests ▁at ▁the ▁conserv atory . ▁S par row ▁writes ▁several ▁sym phon ies ▁throughout ▁the ▁novel ▁but ▁strugg les ▁to ▁share ▁them ▁out ▁of ▁fear ▁of ▁jud g ement . ▁He ▁has ▁a ▁close ▁relationship ▁with ▁K ai ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁work ▁together ▁with ▁classical ▁music , ▁but ▁it ▁grows ▁into ▁something ▁more . ▁ ▁W en ▁the ▁Dream er : ▁W en ▁the ▁Dream er ▁is ▁the ▁husband ▁of ▁Sw irl ▁and ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁ren owned ▁Chinese ▁scholar ▁Old ▁West . ▁Old ▁West ▁was ▁selected ▁by ▁the ▁Emperor ▁to ▁emb ark ▁on ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁America ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁fost er ▁his ▁learning . ▁Upon ▁returning , ▁and ▁before ▁he ▁could ▁share ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁his ▁knowledge , ▁W en ' s ▁father ▁died . ▁W en ▁faces ▁some ▁res ent ment ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁because ▁Old ▁West ▁still ▁ow ed ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁of ▁sk illed ▁labour ▁to ▁the ▁em peror ▁when ▁he ▁died . ▁W en ▁is ▁a ▁poet . ▁ ▁Zh uli : ▁Zh