Although Jiang Ning felt unfortunate for having to time travel, she definitely did not want to court death herself.
She hurriedly replied with a smile, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam, but in my condition...I'm handicapped, I can't take care of myself. I don't deserve to be with the noble Prince of Yu."
Though she had no idea who the Prince of Yu was or what he looked like, but given the way Jiang Yuan and Jiang Yan fawned over him, he must be a man of both talent and looks.
However, her adopted father seemed determined.
"Ningning, you're beautiful, and it doesn't matter if you're physically impaired. You don't need to do any physical labor," he said.
"It really won't work," she insisted.
"If I say it will, then it will," Jiang Ruobai responded firmly, immediately calling the housekeeper over, "Add Ningning's name to the list of women to be selected."
"Sir," hesitated the housekeeper, "The list was sent out yesterday."
"Then bring it back and modify it!" Jiang Ruobai said, coldly, "Is there really need to discuss such a minor matter?"
"I shall handle it at once," the housekeeper nodded, making it seem like it was indeed a trivial matter.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning felt doomed.
Although she didn't quite understand the process of imperial son's concubine selection at this time, she clearly understood what the term 'selected women' implied.
Don't the selected women have to undergo physical examination?
They couldn't have any defects, right?
As a pregnant woman, wouldn't her condition be discovered immediately?
If the Jiang family dared to send an unmarried pregnant daughter for selection, they were clearly courting disaster.
She quickly pulled her father aside to a corner and whispered, "Father, you need to call the housekeeper back right now."
"Seventh Sister, don't worry. Even if you're handicapped, I am confident I can help you rise to power," he reassured her.
"My dear foster father, please stop it." Jiang Ning was almost crying, "I have to tell you the truth... I'm actually pregnant!"
Jiang Ruobai's eyebrows, which had risen at the term 'foster father', dropped again upon hearing what she just said.
"What did you say?" he asked.
"I might be pregnant!" Jiang Ning made up her mind to spill everything.
"Pregnant?" Jiang Ruobai was taken aback for a moment, then slowly put his hand over his heart.
Oh no, could it be the emperor's child?
That old lecher, he's a man of advanced age already, yet he still covets a fully grown woman, and now her daughter too. This isn't all, he dare to take advantage of Seventh Sister?
Jiang Ruobai felt a pang in his chest, his face turned pale, and he seemed to be on the verge of fainting.
Jiang Ning looked up at him, "Father, are you okay?"
"How can I be okay?" Jiang Ruobai extended his trembling hand, "Could the child's father... could it be Old Man Li?"
"It probably isn't?" Jiang Ning frowned in thought, "I don't remember."
"How long has it been?"
"I don't know," Jiang Ning replied with an innocent face.
Jiang Ruobai felt another pang in his chest, and he weakly barked for someone to fetch the doctor.
As Lin Zizi fell sick every other day, the household had two doctors. One of them came running with a medicine box, only to find Madam in good health, sitting next to a remarkably beautiful young girl.
Jiang Ruobai managed to squeeze a few words through his gritted teeth: "Check her pulse."
The doctor quickly took out a clean silk kerchief, laid it over Jiang Ning's wrist, and squatted on the ground to focus on taking her pulse.
He tilted his head, furrowing his brows, and took quite a while to finish.
An impatient Jiang Ruobai asked, "Well?"
The doctor was quick to withdraw his hand and said, "Sir, this young lady is fine, just a bit weak, probably due to poor diet. She needs to eat well and rest."
Jiang Ning was taken aback.
Jiang Ruobai hurriedly asked, "Anything else?"
"No, besides that, this young lady is getting along quite well," the doctor assured confidently.
Jiang Ning, who thought she had some basic medical knowledge, wondered how the doctor could say she wasn't pregnant when she could already feel the baby moving?!