In the warm chamber of the Prince of Xing's residence, Lin Zhao spent three days recovering his strength, and also three days observing the place that would soon become his experimental field.
As a political science Ph.D., he habitually analyzed everything before him using an academic framework. The Prince of Xing's residence was a typical Ming Dynasty princely mansion, with strict hierarchy and numerous rules. But Lin Zhao noticed that the atmosphere here was different from orthodox Ming Dynasty princely mansions—Prince Xing Zhu Youyuan had died young, leaving the young heir Zhu Houcong to face this complex political world alone. This special growth environment created Zhu Houcong's unique character: he both craved power and was filled with distrust toward the civil official group; he wanted to prove his legitimacy but was unwilling to be constrained by traditional ritual law.
"Simply a perfect experimental subject," Lin Zhao wrote in his diary (using modern simplified Chinese characters that no one in the residence could decipher). "Has a strong desire for power but lacks an institutionalized power base. This kind of person is most likely to accept the concept of 'constitutionalism'—because they need a discourse to justify their power."
On the fourth day, Zhu Houcong summoned him alone.
"Tell me, what exactly is this 'New World' system all about?" the prince asked directly.
Lin Zhao took a deep breath and began his "institutional sales pitch."
"Your Highness, in the New World, there is a system called 'constitutionalism.' Its core idea is: power must be constrained, otherwise it will inevitably lead to corruption." Lin Zhao spoke while observing the prince's reaction. "But the way to constrain power is not simple separation of powers, but rather establishing an elaborate institutional design that allows different centers of power to check and balance each other."
"Check and balance?" The prince frowned. "You mean, let ministers constrain the monarch?"
"No, Your Highness," Lin Zhao hurriedly explained, "it's letting the system constrain everyone—including the monarch. But the key is that the design power of this system is in the monarch's hands. The monarch is not weakened, but rather 'institutionalized'—his power becomes more stable because everyone acknowledges the legitimacy of these rules."
The prince's eyes narrowed.
"Continue."
"Your Highness, we also need to establish a 'check and balance' mechanism. The monarch has the power to veto bills passed by Congress, but Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority. The monarch has the power to appoint Supreme Court justices, but it requires Congressional approval."
"In this way, on the surface, various institutions check and balance each other; in reality, the monarch holds the ultimate decision-making power."
The prince burst into laughter.
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"
"Mr. Lin, you are truly a genius!"
Lin Zhao smiled slightly, but a trace of unease rose in his heart.
The system he designed—was it really "constitutionalism"? Or was it just a tool of power manipulation?