similar happenings in my game - I modded some units - most fun battles where when I invaded a region that contained some previously bribed armies of my own.

I had modded the farming+mining income upgrades, and it seems I overdid it. All the factions had plenty of cash to happily send out emissaries who'd bribe rival faction armies left and right. Doesn't seem like trade was important, and everyone was attacking/bribing each other.

I was just hoping to secure the Rebel lands to the east of Poland and slug it out with the Horde when they arrive, but it's getting pretty savage right now. It's only 1135 and the Turks, French, and Aragonese are already gone - and now I have both Hungary and Novgorod pinned into one region each. Spanish, Italian, and Egyptians are serious powerhouses at the moment - I'm tempted to see if I can hang with them before I go back to the drawing board on my custom mod.