Tang An is staring that those portraits place in front of her. She look at her mother and father who is smiling. She look to her left, the matchmaker standing is smiling brightly. On the right, her maids are smiling brightly too. She look down at the portraits again. There are five portraits of male prospect for her to choose from and she doesn't want to say that she dislike them all. She had rejected so many that she doesn't know how many. Tang An is not a princess nor born royal blood. She is known to be the talent lady of Chang An' . At the age of fourteen, she had many man proposing to marry her but she reject them all. Saying they are not good looking. After that the ones who she reject she said they have no talent. Later another group of men she reject saying that they don't hold any post in the government. Today, the matchmaker comes with these portraits of young man who are handsome, talented and work for the government. She crack her head and think how she can reject them.
"Matchmaker... who is the oldest among them?"
"Oldest... that will be master Lian!"
She hurry to show the portrait of the man to Tang An. She look at him and ask sweetly. "How old?"
"Fifteen this year!"
"Fifth... fifteen?! No i can't"
"Daughter! Why?!"
Her mother frown and ask loudly.
"Mother i am now nineteen! How can i marry a man who is younger than i am?!"
"Miss Tang! Traditionally, younger man will marry older women! It's a better marriage life as traditionally the woman take care of the family! She needs to be older and more matured! Besides that..."
"No i prefer my husband to be older. Older and wiser. So that he can protect me. No the other way round."
Her parents look at each other and sigh. Her mother mumble under her breath. Tang An knows that she win this round. The matchmaker have to look for older prospect for her. She smirk to herself.
Back in her own boudoir she is painting a picture of a tiger and a flower. She look at it and feel satisfy. From childhood she had an occurring dream of a tiger. He is big and fierce. Sometimes he walks and sometimes he circle around her. He never attack her nor bite her. In the tiger's eye, she see herself in it. She always reach out to touch the tiger. However she always ends up waking up. It is not a terrify dream but she feels that it is saying someone who is like a tiger will be the one who will walk a long side with her. Someone different. Maybe difficult but he will walk beside her. She feels that she needs to wait for this person to turn up in her life.
One afternoon after school, she walks with her personal maid Xiao En to the music shop. She wants to get her GuZhen string to be replace. She over hear the owner talks loudly to his worker.
"Master, that match maker from HanYang is here again."
"Tell her my daughter is not going to marry that man."
"But master... i said many times but that match maker said that the old lady of the Song house thinks that it is a good match."
"Heavens! How can it be a good match?! Her grandson is an idiot!"
"Master, he hold an important job in the government!"
"No matter what i am not letting my daughter to marry that idiot! Tell that matchmaker to go!"
She watch the worker rush out of the shop. She look at the matchmaker from the window. She was one of those few matchmaker that tried to find her a match when she was younger. She move nearer to hear what they are saying.
"Matchmaker Mei, please go. Master said that he is not going to allow Missy to marry that Song master."
"Heavens! Can i go in to talk to him? I have been in and out the county for serval times. Old lady Song likes ..."
"Doesn't matter. Master say that Master Song is an idiot. He won't allow..."
"He is not! If he is an idiot how can he work for the government! He holds an important job for the emperor! Although he is not that young but still he have everything your missy needs!"
"Ah please please just go. Ask that Old lady to give up. This is so difficult."
He walk away and enter the shop. Tang An ask her maid to go find out more about the master that is looking to get a wife. She stay in the shop looking at some music scores while waiting for her strings to be change. Her maid return an hour later and the strings are done. They paid up and walk home.
In her boudoir Tang An ask what Xiao En what did she find out. The maid said excitedly as what she heard from matchmaker Mei.
"Master Song lives in HanYang county with his grandmother. His parents passed away when he was eight, he is now twenty two. He doesn't have siblings but a cousin who works for the Yamen in the capital. Master Song have slight autism but his appearance doesn't show. He seldom talks but communicates only with people he knows. Plus he is a genius in mathematics. He won yearly in HanYang all the contest in mathematics and pass the state examinations with flying colors. He works for the emperor in land surveyor related issues."
"What is his name?"
"Song... Song ... Song ... something ... Hu."
Tang An eyes lit up. Is this the person she is waiting for? She ask Xiao En to find the matchmaker and ask for the portrait of the master Song. This makes Tang An excited and she couldn't sleep that night. The next day Xiao En goes out early to do what her missy wanted. In the late afternoon, Xiao En brings the matchmaker into the Tang mansion. The matchmaker is unsure that if Tang An wants this match as she had tried so many other times however this time she is the one who approach her to ask for more details. She wipe her sweaty forehead as she stands outside the boudoir with the case in her hands. She look and pat the case gently. Hoping this is the last time she will run around looking for a match. Xiao En comes out to fetch the matchmaker. She pray with her hands together and hope for the best. She enter slowly with a sigh.