p style="text-align: center;"span style="text-decoration: underline;"August 11th: I'm Sorry, But I Can't/span/p
p style="text-align: left;"span style="font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Dear Diary,/span/p
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p style="max-height: 999999px;"Xinwen and I had a lot of fun talking last night. She asked me a question that I'm just not sure I can answer. I have a family back at the Jade Palace to return to. I also can't stay here. She wanted to see if I could become her lady in waiting. It was a lot better than a servant and we can still be the best of friends, but I just don't know. I have to give her my answer today. She had a shrine built for me and Ming Hua when she was told that we died. Yea. my birth parents claimed that I was dead not too long after I "ran away." I came out of the bathroom, to find a note on the bed. It read:/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"emDear Mei,/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"emI took Meili down for breakfast already. My father wants you to be dressed in your finest. I knew that you probably didn't have any, so I laid out one of mine. We seem to be about the same size now. Anyway, your parents are here. I asked if we could have a private breakfast just like old times. My father agreed and asked if they would be willing to wait. They said sure. Reluctantly. See you soon!/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"emLove,/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"emXinwen/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"I smiled at the note and quickly found the quipo she laid out for me. It was silk and a pretty ruby red color. I fished the ruby choker that Aunt Viper and Uncle Crane got me and placed it around my throat. I admired myself in the mirror before hurrying down to the dining room. As I stepped inside, Xinwen smiled and rose from her seat. I could see other important officials sitting down. Of course, I forgot when Ming and I were here, we wouldn't actually sit and eat with them, we would stand around and wait for Xinwen to tell us that she needed something. "Mei Xiang! Come in!" I smiled at her hospitality. It was especially informal. I could tell that she wanted me to feel welcome. I nodded to the others and curtsied to the Emperor. Then Meili gurgled and I lost the formal look I had plastered on. I lifted her up and nuzzled her cheek. "Good Morning, Meili. My beautiful." The other officials cleared their throat and glanced at the Emperor, looking for an explanation. He smiled warmly at them. "This is the white tiger who has defeated villians for us all over China. I figured that since she is also my daughter's friend, I should extend a hand of thanks." They appeared satisfied at his answer. I sat down next to Xinwen and we cooed over my daughter./p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"As breakfast droned on in a boring manner, Xinwen and I chatted quietly. "So have you thought about it?" I looked at her with a torn gaze. "I would love too, Xinwen, but I have obligations back at the Jade Palace. I was adopted by Master Tigress and have a family. I've been gone way too long." She looked down and returned my torn gaze. "I figured you would say that. I've missed you so much, that I forgot that you've had a life away from here for so long." I smiled and squeezed her paw under the table. "I can't take Meili with me. It was easy traveling like I did with the youngest ones because I always had my right-hand man and my eldest daughter to help." She nodded and smiled. "I want you, Xinwen, to adopt Meili. Take care of her. Show her love and compassion. Be her mother. Her real mother can't take care of her, so she gave her to me. I won't be able to watch her properly if I'm having to travel all the way back to the Jade Palace." Her eyes grew wide and I gently placed a document I drew up in her hands. It's her birth certificate and an adoption paper. I want you to sign it so you can take care of her. Once it has been signed, no one can take her away except for me." I looked at her with pleading eyes. She glanced down the table at her father who was still deeply in conversation. "I'll adopt her, Mei." I smiled and kissed her cheeks. "Thank you, Xinny." Tears rose up briefly in her eyes at the mention of her old childhood nickname./p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"I gently got all of Meili's things packed up later that day. Xinwen insisted that I had a painting of me and her together so that Meili always had something of her foster mother. We dressed Meili in a small pink and white dress and I wore the ruby quipo and choker for the painting. We looked so pretty in it that Xinwen had to step out to keep from crying in front of her subject. I wrote a note to Ai that Meili found a home forever. Diary, I hope that my newest baby will be safe. I trust Xinwen, but I haven't seen her in years. Fa was waiting for me at the gates. He said that he still has to fill the other half of his orders before I can be allowed to leave. I nodded silently. He didn't push it. He knew that I let Meili go./p
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p style="text-align: left;"span style="font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Dear Diary,/span/p
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p style="max-height: 999999px;"Xinwen and I had a lot of fun talking last night. She asked me a question that I'm just not sure I can answer. I have a family back at the Jade Palace to return to. I also can't stay here. She wanted to see if I could become her lady in waiting. It was a lot better than a servant and we can still be the best of friends, but I just don't know. I have to give her my answer today. She had a shrine built for me and Ming Hua when she was told that we died. Yea. my birth parents claimed that I was dead not too long after I "ran away." I came out of the bathroom, to find a note on the bed. It read:/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"emDear Mei,/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"emI took Meili down for breakfast already. My father wants you to be dressed in your finest. I knew that you probably didn't have any, so I laid out one of mine. We seem to be about the same size now. Anyway, your parents are here. I asked if we could have a private breakfast just like old times. My father agreed and asked if they would be willing to wait. They said sure. Reluctantly. See you soon!/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"emLove,/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"emXinwen/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"I smiled at the note and quickly found the quipo she laid out for me. It was silk and a pretty ruby red color. I fished the ruby choker that Aunt Viper and Uncle Crane got me and placed it around my throat. I admired myself in the mirror before hurrying down to the dining room. As I stepped inside, Xinwen smiled and rose from her seat. I could see other important officials sitting down. Of course, I forgot when Ming and I were here, we wouldn't actually sit and eat with them, we would stand around and wait for Xinwen to tell us that she needed something. "Mei Xiang! Come in!" I smiled at her hospitality. It was especially informal. I could tell that she wanted me to feel welcome. I nodded to the others and curtsied to the Emperor. Then Meili gurgled and I lost the formal look I had plastered on. I lifted her up and nuzzled her cheek. "Good Morning, Meili. My beautiful." The other officials cleared their throat and glanced at the Emperor, looking for an explanation. He smiled warmly at them. "This is the white tiger who has defeated villians for us all over China. I figured that since she is also my daughter's friend, I should extend a hand of thanks." They appeared satisfied at his answer. I sat down next to Xinwen and we cooed over my daughter./p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"As breakfast droned on in a boring manner, Xinwen and I chatted quietly. "So have you thought about it?" I looked at her with a torn gaze. "I would love too, Xinwen, but I have obligations back at the Jade Palace. I was adopted by Master Tigress and have a family. I've been gone way too long." She looked down and returned my torn gaze. "I figured you would say that. I've missed you so much, that I forgot that you've had a life away from here for so long." I smiled and squeezed her paw under the table. "I can't take Meili with me. It was easy traveling like I did with the youngest ones because I always had my right-hand man and my eldest daughter to help." She nodded and smiled. "I want you, Xinwen, to adopt Meili. Take care of her. Show her love and compassion. Be her mother. Her real mother can't take care of her, so she gave her to me. I won't be able to watch her properly if I'm having to travel all the way back to the Jade Palace." Her eyes grew wide and I gently placed a document I drew up in her hands. It's her birth certificate and an adoption paper. I want you to sign it so you can take care of her. Once it has been signed, no one can take her away except for me." I looked at her with pleading eyes. She glanced down the table at her father who was still deeply in conversation. "I'll adopt her, Mei." I smiled and kissed her cheeks. "Thank you, Xinny." Tears rose up briefly in her eyes at the mention of her old childhood nickname./p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"I gently got all of Meili's things packed up later that day. Xinwen insisted that I had a painting of me and her together so that Meili always had something of her foster mother. We dressed Meili in a small pink and white dress and I wore the ruby quipo and choker for the painting. We looked so pretty in it that Xinwen had to step out to keep from crying in front of her subject. I wrote a note to Ai that Meili found a home forever. Diary, I hope that my newest baby will be safe. I trust Xinwen, but I haven't seen her in years. Fa was waiting for me at the gates. He said that he still has to fill the other half of his orders before I can be allowed to leave. I nodded silently. He didn't push it. He knew that I let Meili go./p
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