After listening to Mu Wanqing tearfully recount everything, Song Qingshu finally understood the full story.
After Qin Hui had Yue Fei killed, his power within the country became overwhelming. With so many followers under him, even Emperor Zhao Gou greatly feared him, constantly worrying that he might stage a coup and seize the throne.
Zhao Gou was rather fortunate. Qin Hui was already old, and after falling seriously ill once, he never recovered. Before his death, he wanted his son to succeed him as prime minister, but Zhao Gou tactfully refused.
The entire Qin Family was immediately shaken. They knew that, having stood at the center of the storm for so many years, they had offended countless people. Moreover, Zhao Gou's attitude was ambiguous and difficult to read. The Qin clansmen feared they would one day be purged and exterminated, so they had begun making preparations for the future long ago.
After Qin Hui died, Zhao Gou found an excuse to force the Qin Family descendants holding important posts to retire. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Qin Family quietly emigrated from the country.
Given the situation at the time, only the Jin Dynasty and Qing could contend with Southern Song. Qin Hui had originally maintained good relations with Jin's upper ranks, but the Jurchen had merely used him to control the Southern Song court. Now that the Qin Family had lost power in Southern Song, they naturally had no further value to Jin. If they went to Jin, the Jurchen might very well sell them to Southern Song for greater profit.
Qing and Jin were brother states. Since they could not go to Jin, Qing was naturally not an option either.
Looking across the various states of the time, apart from Qing and Jin, Dali was too weak, Tibet