Cryptic crossword clue
Very distressing war never troubled China's foremost ruler 5-8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word NERVE-WRACKING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
N
E
R
V
E
-
W
R
A
C
K
I
N
G

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Very distressing" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case very distressing = nerve-wracking.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does NERVE-WRACKING mean?

NERVE-WRACKING adjective
  1. Intensely irritating or distressing to the nerves

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