"Qingqing!" Long Mingze caught Xia Yuqing just before she hit the ground. Panic flashed in his eyes as her body went limp in his arms. "Qingqing, wake up!" he called, shaking her gently. "What's wrong with you?"
The banquet hall fell silent. Music stopped, dancers froze, and the ministers looked on in shock.
"Someone get the Imperial Physician! Now!" he roared.
Without waiting, he lifted her and strode out, his steps fast and unsteady. Guards rushed to follow as he carried her straight to his private chambers.
He laid her on the dragon bed, his hands trembling slightly as he brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Qingqing… wake up. Don't scare me," he muttered under his breath, his heart pounding.
When she didn't respond, his patience snapped. "Where is the Imperial Physician?!"
Moments later, the frightened physician stumbled in with the chief eunuch.
"Check her," Long Mingze ordered, his voice dangerously low. "If you can't wake her up… you won't live to see tomorrow."
