During awful siege appeal follows emperor's liberal acts (12)

'liberal acts' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'during awful siege appeal follows emperor's' is the wordplay.
'during' is an insertion indicator.
'awful' is an anagram indicator.
'appeal' becomes 'it' ('it' can mean something attractive or appealing).
'follows' says to put letters next to each other.
'emperor's' becomes 'nero's' (Roman emperor).
'siege' is an anagram of 'geies'.
'it' put after 'neros' is 'nerosit'.
'geies' enclosing 'nerosit' is 'GENEROSITIES'.

Can you help me to learn more?