I honestly cant be the only one here who finds this mod super easy in the start?
Always start in northern wales, solo it and get to as many villages as you can, follow lords when they go out on patrol and pick up as much Silver, Mineral and Stone as you can. by the time you have depleted the villages in wales (takes a few days in game) you can travel out to Mieria and sell.
Most bandits are killed off by now along the trade routes, the lords are out either patrolling or fighting each other scaring off bandits.
Once you sell, buy a horse right away (i get the quickest i can afford, blowing most of my money) then travel back to wales and repeat a couple times. Its time consuming, its boring but you make MONEY!
After 5-6 trips i had two wineries and had won two tournaments because your travel to the towns with tournaments to compete and sell your stock
Then as things get going get troops, enough to scare away bandits dont bother training them yet as they will just cost you money, keep up your trade routes until you have enough renown and wineries to set out either as a vassal or a king.
Biggest thing with this game is becoming a merchant and avoid fighting anywhere but tournaments until you can make enought o outfit yourself with some decent weapons.
Thats is you want to eventually become king