The study of the Prince of Xing's residence was warm with burning charcoal. Lin Zhao, wrapped in a new cotton robe and holding ginger tea, spread a huge sheet of rice paper before him. Zhu Houcong—whom Lin Zhao now called "Jiajing Chuan" in his mind because this person's temperament was too similar to that real estate tycoon-turned-president—was pacing excitedly.
"So, you mean," Jiajing Chuan pointed at the chart on the paper, "I shouldn't directly become emperor? I need to create some... what... Electoral College system?"
"It's the Electoral College system," Lin Zhao corrected. "Your Highness, according to ancestral regulations, your succession requires court recommendation and the civil official group's approval. But if we can package it to make the process look like 'election by the people'..."
"Election by the people?" Jiajing Chuan raised an eyebrow. "I'm a prince, where do I have people?"
"You do," Lin Zhao's eyes brightened. "The gentry of the realm are the people. Your Highness can propose: all those with scholarly honor (above the rank of xiucai) have the right to 'vote.' Each province allocates 'elector' quotas according to population proportion, and these electors then vote for the emperor. On the surface, this is 'returning power to the people,' an improvement on the 'abdication system'..."
"In reality," Jiajing Chuan interjected, "I can ensure my election by controlling these 'electors.'"
"Exactly!" Lin Zhao said excitedly. "This is called gerrymandering... I mean, this is called 'redistricting.' We can split provinces that support the Prince of Yi, and merge provinces that support Your Highness..."
"Wait," Jiajing Chuan suddenly stopped. "What if the Prince of Yi also understands this? What if he also goes to win over electors?"
Lin Zhao smiled: "This is the essence of 'Winning-ism,' Your Highness. We need to win within the rules, but ensure the rules favor us. First, we need to define what a 'legitimate' elector is. For example, only 'property owners' have the right to vote—that is, gentry with assets of ten thousand taels or more. These people are naturally conservative, naturally support a strong monarch like Your Highness, rather than a puppet of civil officials like the Prince of Yi."
"Continue."
"Second, we need to establish 'political support associations'... I mean, 'supporter alliances.' Let Yan Song... I mean, let Your Highness's supporters come forward, raise funds, and help electors 'campaign.' Of course, in reality, these funds will be used to..."
"Used to make them listen to me," Jiajing Chuan smiled. "I understand. When I was doing business in Huguang, that's how I handled those governors. Give them money, make them do things."
"No, Your Highness, this is different," Lin Zhao said seriously. "This must appear legitimate. We need accounts, procedures, 'transparency.' This is called the revolving door... I mean, this is called 'talent mobility.' Officials can go to work for Your Highness's 'support association' after retirement, with high salaries, but while in office they must 'impartially' make rules favorable to Your Highness..."
Jiajing Chuan stared at Lin Zhao for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" He slapped the table. "Lin Zhao, do you know what you resemble? You resemble an accountant, but the accounts you make can turn black into white, and the dead into the living. I like it!"
Lin Zhao frowned slightly: "Your Highness, this isn't accounting, this is institutional design. The American Founding Fathers designed it this way. They established check and balance mechanisms to ensure..."
"To ensure what?" Jiajing Chuan interrupted him. "To ensure that winners keep winning?"
"To ensure... to ensure freedom and democracy," Lin Zhao said, but his voice was a bit softer. He suddenly realized that Jiajing Chuan before him seemed to have only heard the "winning" part, not the "check and balance" part.
But Jiajing Chuan had already turned around, pointing out the window: "Lin Zhao, look at this Beijing city. Look at those frozen refugees, look at those people who can't afford food. Do you know why? Because the current system is stupid. The emperor makes all decisions alone, and the civil official group is corrupt. If we follow what you said, with separation of powers and check and balance, does that mean..."
"That means no one can be held responsible for mistakes," Lin Zhao continued. "That means policy failures can be blamed on 'procedures,' not individuals. Your Highness, this is precisely the protective function of institutions. You will never be a tyrant, because you are only the head of the 'executive branch.' If you make mistakes, it's the 'legislature's' fault, the 'judiciary's' fault, the 'system's' fault..."
"But never my fault," Jiajing Chuan's eyes sparkled. "I will always be winning. Even if I lose, it's the system that lost, not me. I can keep winning forever, until..."
"Until forever," Lin Zhao said softly. "This is the magic of constitutionalism, Your Highness. It allows good institutions to sustain themselves, unaffected by individuals."
"Unaffected by individuals," Jiajing Chuan murmured, then suddenly asked, "But what if I want to build a palace? What if I want to make elixirs? What if I want to... do something an emperor wants to do?"
Lin Zhao smiled: "Then you need 'appropriations.' Your Highness, you can't directly take money from the national treasury—that would be too barbaric. You need to go through the 'budget bill.' Let the House of Representatives propose it, the Senate approve it, and then you 'sign' it. This way, you get the money without bearing the reputation of 'extortionate taxation.' Because the money was approved through procedure, it's 'legal.'"
"Legal..." Jiajing Chuan savored this word. "I like it. Winning legally. This is much more satisfying than winning secretly."
For the next three days, Lin Zhao barely slept. He drew diagrams, wrote provisions, translating the general framework of the American Constitution into Ming Dynasty official language:
- Presidential system = Western Court Cabinet system, Grand President and Federal Prime Minister
- Congress = Senate (House of Nobility) + House of Representatives (Censorate)
- Supreme Court = Dali Court, holding judicial review power
- Bill of Rights = First Amendment (freedom of speech, but with property threshold)
On the fourth day, Jiajing Chuan took these diagrams to the civil officials' assembly.
Lin Zhao did not follow, but he later heard that the scene that day was spectacular.
It is said that Jiajing Chuan first humbly expressed his lack of talent and learning, not daring to covet the great position. Then, he proposed the "Electoral College system"—claiming this was "restoring the governance of the Three Dynasties," a modern improvement on the "abdication system." He promised that if he ascended the throne, he would establish a "Congress" to limit imperial power and "return power to the gentry."
The civil official group was in an uproar. Those Hanlin scholars well-versed in poetry and books, those ministers proficient in power manipulation—they had never seen such a prince. Generally, when princes competed for the throne, they either humbled themselves to seek support, or secretly formed cliques for personal gain. But Jiajing Chuan, he was talking about "institutions," about "check and balance," about "constitutionalism."
"This person is either a sage or a treacherous hero," said Yang Tinghe, then Chief Grand Secretary, privately. "But I can't see his flaw. What he said... about separation of powers, sounds very beautiful."
"Very beautiful," the Vice Chief Grand Secretary agreed. "And if we support him, we are 'reformers,' not power ministers who 'support a prince.' It sounds better."
Thus, through "due process," Jiajing Chuan won the support of the civil official group. Not through bribery (at least not on the surface), but by promising to "limit his own power."
When the news returned to the Prince of Xing's residence, Jiajing Chuan was playing chess with Lin Zhao.
"I've won," Jiajing Chuan captured Lin Zhao's chariot. "The first step."
"Congratulations, Your Highness," Lin Zhao said. "But this is just the beginning. Next, we need to ensure Your Highness formally wins the 'election,' and then..."
"Then establish your... what... check and balance mechanisms?"
"Yes," Lin Zhao's eyes brightened. "Your Highness, you will become the first constitutional monarch in Chinese history. You will go down in history not as a tyrant, but as the Washington of the East."
"Washington," Jiajing Chuan repeated this strange name. "Was he a winner?"
"He was... he was the father of the nation," Lin Zhao said. "He established the system."
"Then did he win?"
Lin Zhao was stunned for a moment: "He... he laid the foundation for more than two hundred years of prosperity..."
"Then that's winning," Jiajing Chuan smiled with satisfaction. "Good, I want to be the Washington of the East. I want to win for two hundred years."
Lin Zhao looked at the chessboard and suddenly felt a chill. But he told himself this was the chill of excitement. He was about to participate in a great historical experiment—transplanting the American constitutional system to an ancient Eastern country.
He didn't notice that when Jiajing Chuan looked out the window, the light in his eyes was not that of an enlightener, but rather that of a predator who had spotted its prey.
"Institutions," Jiajing Chuan murmured to himself, "a good cage. After I enter, I will swallow the key into my stomach."