This game is so dumb sometimes, I have never once managed to get a single vassal to ever join me, not a single time. I even did the easier way of playing and smith high tier weapons, give it to my brother to sell and make up to 50 million and buy all of the southern empires castles and settlements. I was also a mercenary for them and most vassals I knew had a 50-100 relation with them. They are dirt poor cheap, at war with Khuzaits and hiding out with the Sturgians, none of them have fiefs, literally have a kingdom strength of 1000 and they are all loyal to their liege, even when few are enemies to their queen. Its just so dumb, I even declared war on them, always let them all go, they are at war with 3 kingdoms and even then they are still loyal to their liege. I can play this game anymore cause of this I can never fulfill my dream of ruling all of Calridia when all the AI are this dumb.