no, this is incorrect.
A lord cannot have more than 50% of the estates, NO MATTER HOW MANY KNIGHTS. They cannot tax higher than 50%, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A KNIGHT.
BUT... their efficiency - and so their own gold - cannot be maximized without knights in the other estates.
So, a knight NEVER DRAWS GOLD AWAY FROM THE LORD, but CAN increase it.
That's the whole design behind the new estate system.
Efficiency of the estates is determined mostly by their size, not by whether or not they're occupied.
