面如死灰 ashen-faced
Explanation
形容因极度悲伤、恐惧或震惊而脸色苍白，像死人身上的灰烬一样。
Describes a pale face due to extreme sadness, fear, or shock, as pale as the ashes of a dead person.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，京城长安发生了一件怪事。大将军李靖的独子李承乾，因卷入宫廷政变，被废黜太子之位，囚禁在偏僻的宫殿。消息传到他母亲，一代贤后长孙皇后的耳中，她顿时面如死灰，心如刀绞。她日夜以泪洗面，茶饭不思，身体一天天消瘦，仿佛瞬间苍老了几十岁。御医们束手无策，只能眼睁睁地看着她日渐衰弱。李承乾被囚禁的消息，也传遍了长安城。百姓们都为这位善良的皇后感到惋惜，同情之情油然而生。长孙皇后得知百姓们的心意，深感安慰。她依然坚持每日诵读佛经，祈求上天保佑她的儿子，也保佑大唐江山稳固。或许是长孙皇后的坚强与慈母之心感动了上苍，李承乾最终被赦免，恢复了自由。长孙皇后得知此消息后，虽仍心有余悸，但脸色却逐渐恢复了红润。她深知，家国平安才是最重要的。从此，她更加勤勉地辅佐唐太宗，为大唐的繁荣昌盛贡献自己的力量。
During the Tang Dynasty, a strange incident occurred in the capital city of Chang'an. Li Chengqian, the only son of the great general Li Jing, was involved in a court coup and stripped of his title as crown prince, imprisoned in a remote palace. The news reached his mother, the virtuous Empress Changsun, who immediately turned ashen-faced and heartbroken. She wept day and night, refused to eat or drink, and became thinner and thinner every day, seemingly aging decades in an instant. The imperial physicians were helpless, and could only watch as she grew weaker. The news of Li Chengqian's imprisonment also spread throughout Chang'an. The people all felt sorry for the kind empress, and sympathy arose spontaneously. Empress Changsun, learning of the people’s sentiments, felt great comfort. She still insisted on reciting Buddhist scriptures daily, praying to heaven to protect her son and to safeguard the stability of the Tang Dynasty. Perhaps the empress’s strength and maternal love moved heaven, as Li Chengqian was eventually pardoned and restored to freedom. Upon hearing this news, Empress Changsun, though still apprehensive, gradually recovered her rosy complexion. She knew that the peace and well-being of her family and country were paramount. From then on, she assisted Emperor Taizong even more diligently, contributing her strength to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
Usage
形容人因悲伤、恐惧或震惊而脸色变得苍白。
Describes a person's face turning pale due to sadness, fear, or shock.
Examples
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她听到这个噩耗，面如死灰，一句话也说不出来。
tā tīngdào zhège èghào, miàn rú sǐ huī, yī jù huà yě shuō bù chūlái.
She was ashen-faced when she heard the terrible news.
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他考试不及格，面如死灰，失魂落魄地回家了。
tā kǎoshì bùjígé, miàn rú sǐ huī, shīhúnluòpò de huí jiā le。
He was ashen-faced after failing the exam and went home dejectedly.