Generally I've found it helpful to pause at the end of each chapter, update my residences, roads, workshops and goods production as high as they will go. Then, if I've finished the quests for the chapter, I go on. This can be done one of two ways. First, you can leave the opening of the next chapter until all these things are done, or, if you need to be in the next chapter to reap a higher level of rewards from an event or something, opening just the first research of the next chapter so the system will grant you those rewards at that level. In either case a few weeks upgrading everything now will make this and future chapters easier.
Just my advice.
AJ