During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Emperor Jingmu of Northern Wei had a great-great-grandson named Yuan Huiye. In his youth, he behaved indiscreetly, often associating with robbers and thieves. As he grew older, he completely reformed his ways, extensively studied classics and history, and frequently wrote articles. Regarding Yuan Huiye's later conduct, historical records commented that he "was a man of generosity and noble principles."
Another member of the Wei royal house was Yuan Shao, nephew of Emperor Xiaozhuang—weak and spineless. After Northern Qi conquered Wei, Emperor Shenwu of Qi married the former Empress of Emperor Xiaowu to Yuan Shao, and many Wei treasures came into his household along with her. Later, Yuan Shao presented the imperial jade seal to the Qi emperor. Emperor Wenxuan of Qi once shaved off Yuan Shao's beard and dressed him as a woman to mock him, which Yuan Shao silently endured. One day, Yuan Huiye accompanied Emperor Wenxuan to Jinyang and encountered Yuan Shao outside the palace gate. Unable to contain himself, he scolded, "You're worse than an old woman—handing over the jade seal! Why didn't you smash it? I know I'll die for saying this, but how much longer can you last?" When Emperor Wenxuan heard Yuan Huiye's words, he immediately ordered his execution, along with Yuan Xiaoyou, a grandson of Emperor Taiwu. At the execution ground, Xiaoyou trembled in terror, but Yuan Huiye remained calm and composed, facing death with dignity.
Yuan Shao tried to appease everyone, but still met a tragic end. Eight years after Yuan Huiye's death, Yuan Shao and nineteen other members of the Yuan clan were imprisoned together in the capital's dungeon. Denied food and water, they were left to starve to death.
Later, the idiom "panic-stricken" came to describe being so frightened and flustered that one loses composure.
The Biography of Yuan Huiye in the *Book of Northern Qi* records that Yuan Huiye, a prince of the Northern Wei dynasty, was known for his bluntness and disdain for flattery. Once, during a grand banquet, a sycophantic official praised Emperor Xiaowu's reign as unparalleled in history. Yuan Huiye interrupted loudly, "Your words are like trying to cover the sky with a sieve—transparently false!" The official turned red, and the emperor, though displeased, could not refute the truth. Later, when the powerful minister Gao Huan seized control, Yuan Huiye refused to bow, declaring, "I would rather starve than eat the bread of a usurper." Gao Huan, amused by his defiance, remarked, "This man's spine is made of iron." Yuan Huiye replied, "Iron rusts, but my resolve does not." He was eventually executed, but his unyielding spirit became a legend. Today, the phrase "covering the sky with a sieve" is used to mock blatant lies or hollow praise.
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "惊惶失措" came to describe being so frightened and flustered that one loses composure.