I don't see much wrong with it. Essentially you have finished the quest line. The bonus section is just designed to let you have something to keep you occupied, if you choose, when you finish very quickly (that's in response to previous complaints.)
As for only having 8 artefacts, well that does suck for you, but I would call it luck of the draw. In events of years gone by it would be almost impossible for people to win the top prize without spending diamonds. As you have got most of the way there then I don't see it is pitched particularly badly as you still have about 20 days left to play in the bonus section and finish off your house.
I think that players winning numerous copies of top grand prizes is probably bad for the game so if extra ones are only really available to diamond spenders then that seems about right to me.
Trust me, it did not suck for me. I got mostly 2 and 3 bricks per roll, I consider myself I was about 80% lucky. If 100 was top luck, I managed 90. I got little times "1 brick" per hammer. I got a fair amount of reshuffles, as well as 100, 150 ribbons (and a couple of times multiplied x2)
I am seeing most people
getting less than eight artifacts to be honest... and check again in 20 days, you will see.
To add to the bonus. A few advices. Keep 7/8 provinces (it is what I did and paid off)
After the 1- Awful 9 hour x2 quest, I got:
2 - Complete a province
3 - A lot of supplies, but magic allowed.
4 - Pet food or complete a provinces (add to the brown bear even if no panda fed, save the provinces)
5 - 3x CC (good thing I have two libraries with a gate, and CC crafting non-stop).
6 - Coins (magic allowed)
7 - Complete a province.
8 - 5 x 3 hour any boosted tier, current level manufacturer. (And working in this one.)
And as expected, 20 ribbons a pop. I have 202... If I am positive and count two steps per hammer, about 750 ribbons total to complete it. So, I'd say that for the last level up (bonus only), you will need between 600-1000 ribbons depending on your luck. I'll keep updating.