Ka Koushun, also known as Xia Gaojun, reigns as the current Summer King and emperor of the fictional nation of Shou. He possesses short black hair, dark eyes, and a tall, masculine build, his striking looks often compared to a "winter mountain," an inheritance from his mother. His personality is marked by stoicism; he rarely displays emotion outwardly and adheres strictly to tradition, law, and due process. He refuses to break customs, even declining to command the Raven Consort to fulfill requests due to her protected status. This principle guides his rule, prioritizing evidence and legal procedures over personal vengeance against those who harmed him. Yet beneath this reserved exterior lie intense emotions rooted in childhood trauma. He was once lively and expressive but became withdrawn following his mother's death and the beating death of the eunuch Tei Ran by agents of the Empress Dowager. His background is defined by hardship. At ten, his mother, Consort Sha, was harassed and poisoned by the Empress Dowager, her murder covered up. Shortly after, he encountered Lady Han and took one of her jade earrings—an item central to his later request to the Raven Consort. Deposed as crown prince at thirteen, he endured exile in the distant Gyosou Palace, sustained by his loyal tutor Un Eitoku and attendant Wei Qing. At eighteen, he rallied the Forbidden Army, stormed the Empress Dowager's palace, and seized the throne. Rather than executing her immediately, he placed her under house arrest to dismantle her influence methodically and gather evidence of her crimes. His relationship with the Raven Consort, Liu Shouxue, begins when he visits her palace to investigate the ghost linked to the jade earring. After persistent attempts, he secures her cooperation through food bribes, notably baozi. During their interactions, he uncovers her secret: she dyes her silver hair black to hide her identity as a survivor of the Luan clan, the previous dynasty exterminated by his grandfather. Despite this revelation, he protects her secret and repeals the death warrant on Luan survivors. Their bond deepens through shared experiences of loss and isolation, remaining platonic. He carves bird figurines for her, symbolizing their connection, and supports her eventual departure from the palace to live freely. As emperor, he focuses on dismantling the Empress Dowager's network of corruption, employing spies like Wei Qing in key positions. He balances his desire for justice with his commitment to lawful rule, executing the Empress Dowager only after securing irrefutable evidence. His reign is characterized by quiet suffering under the weight of duty, contrasting with Shouxue's later freedom. Years after her departure, rumors suggest an elegant older woman (implied to be Shouxue) occasionally visits him, hinting at their enduring, though distant, bond.