AI ships do lift blockade. What they don't you is attack you in your home port.

To make lots of denari, you have to build a trade network, with ports, roads, trade buildings and lots of provinces. There are other sources like farms and mines.

One more thing is don't build too many troops. I see screenshots posted with garrisons on each province. A person can easily just build a bachus buildings and other happiness inducing buildings to create the same effect.

Take care of the rebels. You won't believe how much they disrupt. I after scouring around,I found this rebels sitting atop my traderoute in my "lesser" regions. Guess what, after that, I gained 10k denari per turn!! And some blinking Icons disappeared!! I'm now taking in at least 30k denari per turn net and it is only 218bc!

Once, I put a finger on that Corruption problem, that's at the very least another 10k.

So form a squad of diplomats and spies, and build watchtowers if you can to find the Rebels. They wreck havoc on trades

One last thing, I totally with you on the rebellion tactic! If the AI can get me out of there, then I'll take it back. But if they can't, I'm not letting it go!!