Caesar IV conveniently shifted the blame.
The delay was a result of discussions between him and the government. Unfortunately, though time was successfully bought, the kingdom's government still couldn't provide enough population to fill the void.
The Noble Lords had acquired a large population from the Papal State, but these were private properties and couldn't be seized by the kingdom's government.
The neglect during the initial policy formulation, focusing solely on collecting money and forgetting about the population, was the main issue.
Later on, when the kingdom's government sought to purchase serfs from the Noble Lords, everyone understood the government's intentions and decisively refused.
After all, the kingdom's government wasn't the only buyer. Sacrificing future prospects for a small temporary benefit wasn't an option for their families.
