Does AI cheat financially on hard difficulty?

[Khorak]

Gaul is a vast territory with concerns that span across all of modern Europe and rebel provinces around for it to conquer. It's too big to notice messing you around.

Try playing as Gaul, and wonder how the Julii are doing all the things they're doing to you when they only have four provinces. Two of which, will be crap. Obviously, don't crush them with laughable ease because the AI fights like a retarded child, just....concentrate on Spain and Germany or something.