Volound plays on Legendary, doesn't reload saves, etc.
Yet he still roflstomps the ai, essentially the ai helps him win by just sitting there or running around to get shot at then running back to get shot at.
Reloading saves doesn't disrupt the ai, don't know where you pulled that out of. Ai acts normally when you reload. It'll still do the same things as that's what the ai was going to decide to do in the first place...
The ai doesn't randomize every time you restart.
Surprise!
(Scenario: Ai catches your city by surprise with a 10 stack army, you forgot to move your 20 stack army to block the area) If you move an army near the ai's forces so this turn the ai won't catch you by surprise; the ai changes course as it's common sense to do so, that's not disrupting anything.
(Unless the ai is too foolish and attacks)
Well that happens in Shogun 2 with UAI mod, not sure if Rome 2 has an even more dumb ai.
I usually don't load if I lose though as it's more fun to just wing it as you go.