Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation not working when references are not in refs directory

[woutware]

During runtime I get the following exception when hitting a page that uses Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation:
Cannot find reference assembly 'Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.dll' file for package Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.Reference.

fail: Microsoft.AspNetCore.Diagnostics.ExceptionHandlerMiddleware[1]
      An unhandled exception has occurred while executing the request.
      System.InvalidOperationException: Cannot find reference assembly 'Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.dll' file for package Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.Reference
         at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel.Resolution.ReferenceAssemblyPathResolver.TryResolveAssemblyPaths(CompilationLibrary library, List`1 assemblies)
         at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel.Resolution.CompositeCompilationAssemblyResolver.TryResolveAssemblyPaths(CompilationLibrary library, List`1 assemblies)
         at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel.CompilationLibrary.ResolveReferencePaths(ICompilationAssemblyResolver resolver, List`1 assemblies)
         at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel.CompilationLibrary.ResolveReferencePaths()
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ApplicationParts.AssemblyPartExtensions.<>c.<GetReferencePaths>b__0_0(CompilationLibrary library)
         at System.Linq.Enumerable.SelectManySingleSelectorIterator`2.MoveNext()
         at System.Collections.Generic.List`1.InsertRange(Int32 index, IEnumerable`1 collection)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation.RazorReferenceManager.GetReferencePaths()
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation.RazorReferenceManager.GetCompilationReferences()
         at System.Threading.LazyInitializer.EnsureInitializedCore[T](T& target, Boolean& initialized, Object& syncLock, Func`1 valueFactory)
         at System.Threading.LazyInitializer.EnsureInitialized[T](T& target, Boolean& initialized, Object& syncLock, Func`1 valueFactory)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation.RazorReferenceManager.get_CompilationReferences()
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation.LazyMetadataReferenceFeature.get_References()
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Razor.CompilationTagHelperFeature.GetDescriptors()
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.DefaultRazorTagHelperBinderPhase.ExecuteCore(RazorCodeDocument codeDocument)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.RazorEnginePhaseBase.Execute(RazorCodeDocument codeDocument)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.DefaultRazorEngine.Process(RazorCodeDocument document)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.DefaultRazorProjectEngine.ProcessCore(RazorCodeDocument codeDocument)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.RazorProjectEngine.Process(RazorProjectItem projectItem)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation.RuntimeViewCompiler.CompileAndEmit(String relativePath)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation.RuntimeViewCompiler.OnCacheMiss(String normalizedPath)
      --- End of stack trace from previous location ---
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Compilation.DefaultRazorPageFactoryProvider.CreateFactory(String relativePath)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorViewEngine.CreateCacheResult(HashSet`1 expirationTokens, String relativePath, Boolean isMainPage)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorViewEngine.OnCacheMiss(ViewLocationExpanderContext expanderContext, ViewLocationCacheKey cacheKey)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorViewEngine.LocatePageFromViewLocations(ActionContext actionContext, String pageName, Boolean isMainPage)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorViewEngine.FindView(ActionContext context, String viewName, Boolean isMainPage)
         at MicroIsvPower.WebApplicationAdmin.Controllers.RazorViewToStringRenderer.FindView(ActionContext actionContext, String viewName) in D:\wc\MicroIsvPower_2023\src\MicroIsvPower\WebApplicationAdmin\Controllers\RazorViewToStringRenderer.cs:line 61
         at MicroIsvPower.WebApplicationAdmin.Controllers.RazorViewToStringRenderer.RenderViewToStringAsync[TModel](String viewName, TModel model) in D:\wc\MicroIsvPower_2023\src\MicroIsvPower\WebApplicationAdmin\Controllers\RazorViewToStringRenderer.cs:line 33
         at MicroIsvPower.WebApplicationAdmin.Controllers.EmailController.TemplatePreviewAsync(String emailTemplateName, Int32 userId, Int32 orderId, Int32 discountCouponId, String returnUrl) in D:\wc\MicroIsvPower_2023\src\MicroIsvPower\WebApplicationAdmin\Controllers\EmailController.cs:line 169
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ActionMethodExecutor.TaskOfIActionResultExecutor.Execute(IActionResultTypeMapper mapper, ObjectMethodExecutor executor, Object controller, Object[] arguments)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeActionMethodAsync>g__Awaited|12_0(ControllerActionInvoker invoker, ValueTask`1 actionResultValueTask)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeNextActionFilterAsync>g__Awaited|10_0(ControllerActionInvoker invoker, Task lastTask, State next, Scope scope, Object state, Boolean isCompleted)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ControllerActionInvoker.Rethrow(ActionExecutedContextSealed context)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ControllerActionInvoker.Next(State& next, Scope& scope, Object& state, Boolean& isCompleted)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeInnerFilterAsync()
      --- End of stack trace from previous location ---
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ResourceInvoker.<InvokeNextResourceFilter>g__Awaited|25_0(ResourceInvoker invoker, Task lastTask, State next, Scope scope, Object state, Boolean isCompleted)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ResourceInvoker.Rethrow(ResourceExecutedContextSealed context)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ResourceInvoker.Next(State& next, Scope& scope, Object& state, Boolean& isCompleted)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ResourceInvoker.InvokeFilterPipelineAsync()
      --- End of stack trace from previous location ---
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ResourceInvoker.<InvokeAsync>g__Awaited|17_0(ResourceInvoker invoker, Task task, IDisposable scope)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Infrastructure.ResourceInvoker.<InvokeAsync>g__Awaited|17_0(ResourceInvoker invoker, Task task, IDisposable scope)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Routing.EndpointMiddleware.<Invoke>g__AwaitRequestTask|6_0(Endpoint endpoint, Task requestTask, ILogger logger)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authorization.AuthorizationMiddleware.Invoke(HttpContext context)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.AuthenticationMiddleware.Invoke(HttpContext context)
         at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Diagnostics.ExceptionHandlerMiddleware.<Invoke>g__Awaited|6_0(ExceptionHandlerMiddleware middleware, HttpContext context, Task task)
fail: Microsoft.AspNetCore.Server.Kestrel[13]

EDIT: after a whole day of digging and decompiling and adding logging to Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel, I finally figured out it was looking for the Microsoft.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.dll in the refs directory, which I completely overlooked and hadn't uploaded to the server. I wish there was better logging in Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel, there are a bunch of hard coded directories in there that you'll have to be lucky that they're right on your system (like e.g. a reference to .NET framework 2 directory).