Grant and Montauban have recently felt something wrong. The intuition of the soldiers told them that danger seemed to be approaching because the Taiping Army had been holding its troops and did not launch an attack on the capital as they had expected in advance, even if it was fired a few shots. ⊙ Years of experience in China made Grant feel that the old saying in China is very dialectical philosophical. If things are impermanent, there will be demons. It means that things must be strange if they do not happen according to common sense.

The reconnaissance team of the coalition forces frequently conducted reconnaissance on the Taiping Army camp, but because the other side often sent cavalry to patrol, the reconnaissance team of the coalition forces could not get too close to the military camp. However, according to the intelligence that the reconnaissance team had to return for more than ten days, the Taiping Army's camps were very quiet, and the soldiers were still consolidating their positions and did not have much military mobilization. But the more this happened, the more unconfidence Grant and Montauban felt. What was the purpose of the Taiping Army retaining their combat power?

The optimism of the politicians of the envoys did not make Grant happy. The negotiations delayed for two weeks. Grant could not hold back on that day. He met General Montauban in his tent, and then the two supreme commanders of the coalition forces summoned Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili and Colonel Dupan.

General Grant expressed his concerns, and then he suggested that the coalition forces take risks in night reconnaissance activities, with the purpose of using the night to get as close to the Taiping Army's camp so that they can detect the Taiping Army's movements more closely.

The task allocation is very simple. Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili led a platoon of scouts to investigate the Nanyuan camp, and Colonel Dupan led the French reconnaissance team to be responsible for the camp in the north. In Grant's words, this reconnaissance was very risky because night reconnaissance was even more dangerous. The Taiping Army would definitely place landmines outside the camp, which increased the risk of the reconnaissance team's mine contact. But Wu Shili and Dupan still accepted the task because they also felt strong uneasiness.

The reconnaissance team set out after twelve o'clock in the evening. Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili personally led the reconnaissance team to advance according to the original daytime road. Soon they reached the place where the daytime reconnaissance team was closest to the Taiping Army camp, and then they were led by experienced engineers. There were no mine detectors at this time, and engineers could only rely on their experience to detect landmines, such as overturned soil, such as obvious triple-mine lines, etc., and other than that, their lives were their lives.

Fortunately, after advancing for two hundred meters, no one touched the thunder. Wu Shili breathed a sigh of relief. Although he only advanced for two hundred meters, it was closer to the Taiping Army's camp. Just as Wu Shili was about to order everyone to continue moving forward, the vanguard made a gesture and everyone quickly lay down on the weeds.

Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili trotted forward, lay beside the vanguard and asked in a low voice: "Sergeant James, what's the matter?" Sergeant James pointed to the Taiping Army camp and whispered: "Lieutenant Colonel, I feel that someone is ahead." Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili looked up, but in the dark night, only the wind blew through this weedland from time to time. The long weeds were blowing up and down, but Wu Shili tried hard to open his eyes and couldn't see a person.

"Sergeant, but I can't see anyone." Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili whispered. Sergeant James is an experienced sergeant. Wu Shili still admires him more. Sergeant James frowned and said, "Lieutenant Colonel, I swear there must be someone in front, but I just can't see it, so I stopped. I always feel something was wrong." The two of them observed for a while, but they still didn't find anything. Finally, Wu Shili whispered: "Sergeant, we can't lie here until dawn." Sergeant James nodded helplessly and said, "Lieutenant Colonel, then let's continue to move forward, but let everyone be careful and step lighter."

After making the gesture, the reconnaissance team members divided into three parts and advanced in a font shape. After carefully moving forward for fifty meters, Sergeant James made another gesture to stop moving forward. He felt very bad, just as if he had taken off naked and was stared at by countless pairs of eyes.

At this moment, a crisp gunshot sounded. Sergeant James and the British soldiers of the reconnaissance team raised their weapons nervously, followed by a series of torches around them and threw them in front of them. With the light of the fire, Sergeant James saw clearly that the distance between the opposite side was less than twenty meters, and rows of black holes pointed at them, both front, back, left and right!

"Put down your weapons! You are surrounded, don't resist unnecessary resistance!" The caller said in English and French. Although Sergeant James had immediately ordered the soldiers around him to arrange in combat formations, they all knew that they were surrounded by enemies, and once fired, they would not be able to survive.

"Damn it, we are surrounded!" "Where did they come out? Hell!" "Boss, are we going to fight back?" The soldiers urged nervously, but Sergeant James had no choice.

Fortunately, at this time, Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili walked out of the queue behind the left and said to Sergeant James: "Sergeant, let them put down their weapons. We are in a damn trap, and there is no need to make unnecessary sacrifices."

Although the soldiers of the British Empire were elite, the Red Shirts still maintained the traditional style of foreign troops. In the absolute disadvantage of the enemy and us, few commanders would order their soldiers to make unnecessary sacrifices, and putting down their weapons was the only way out.

After the British soldiers put down their weapons, someone quickly came up to take away their weapons. Only then did Sergeant James see their outfits clearly. These people were wearing dark green camouflage uniforms, covered with weeds everywhere, and their faces were painted black. Dozens of such soldiers surrounded the British reconnaissance team, and an officer-like man came forward.

Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili immediately walked up and said arrogantly to the man: "We are soldiers of the British Empire. You have no right to seize us and confiscate our weapons. This is an act of war!"

The officer lit a cigarette. Wu Shili saw clearly his rank, which was the rank of the second lieutenant in the Taiping Army. The second lieutenant inhaleted a cigarette and replied in English: "Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, you have broken into our military restricted area. According to the regulations, you are prisoners. Please follow me to go back to the barracks."

Wu Shili's loud protest was ineffective. Under the threat of bayonets and muskets, more than 30 British reconnaissance soldiers were all captured and escorted back to the Taiping Army's barracks. Along the way, they were traveling around the curve, which shows that the Taiping Army had indeed buried quite a lot of landmines on the road at this distance later.

Sure enough, after a while, the lieutenant did not hide anything. He pointed at the surroundings and said, "Lieutenant Colonel, do you know that it is dangerous to come out at night like this? There are landmines we have set up nearby."

Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili snorted and said, "How did you know we were coming?" The lieutenant shrugged and said, "I don't know. In recent days, our company has been out of the frontier positions for several consecutive days. You have to ask our General Staff why he knew you were coming, I don't know."

Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili was shocked. If the Taiping Army had arranged this way for several consecutive nights, it was obvious that they had been guarding the coalition forces' night reconnaissance operations early in the morning. Why did they do this? Could it be that they had any secret actions at night?

When he walked to the gate of the camp, the defense here was still tight. After the lieutenant exchanged commands with the guards, the gate of the camp opened and Wu Shili and his group were taken into the camp. Then he noticed that several companies next to the camp were gathering, with heavy backpacks and all military supplies. It seemed that these companies had a long way to go.

Two Taiping soldiers on the side whispered: "Another battalion has set out south. Where are they going?" "Who knows, I heard that I am going south to open up the supply line." "Just talk nonsense, you are going from Northern Zhili to Huai Shang? How far is that road? General Lin Fengxiang's nearest army is still near Xuzhou."

Both soldiers spoke of the Guangyue accent from the south. Wu Shili has been in China for many years and is very familiar with the Guangyue accent. He was shocked after he understood it. It seems that the Taiping Army has been dispatching troops in the south for a while, but even the soldiers don’t know where they are going. This shows that the Taiping Army has major plans. What do they want to do?

While thinking, Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili and Sergeant James and other officers were taken to a tent. Here, Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili met an old acquaintance, Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili met Lieutenant Li Xiucheng, the legendary general of the Taiping Army. Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili met Lieutenant Li Xiucheng as early as the Battle of the Taiping Army Ningbo. The record of this Taiping Army general was also widely circulated in the coalition.

Li Xiucheng stood up politely and shook hands with Wu Shili, but Wu Shili protested angrily: "General Li, my people and I were savagely detained here by you. This is an act of war!"

Li Xiucheng looked at Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili indifferently. In addition to some grass flicks on his body, Lieutenant Colonel's military uniform was still very clean and complete. He smiled and said, "Lieutenant Colonel, you and your people broke into our military restricted area and took hostile actions. Of course, we have the right to take the means of seizure. As for the word "barbaric" it seems that the word "barbaric" is unreliable. If you and your people are not injured, how can you come from barbaric?"

"Then please release us as soon as possible, and we must return our weapons." Wu Shili replied toughly.

Li Xiucheng shook his head and smiled, "This is a diplomatic incident and needs to be resolved through diplomatic negotiations. I can only ask you and your people to stay here for a few more days and wait until the negotiations will be released." After that, Li Xiucheng did not give Wu Shili another chance to speak and ordered the soldiers to take them down. Wu Shili's loud protest was useless.

After being detained in the Taiping Army camp for three days, Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili and others were not abused. They enjoyed the treatment of prisoners with delicious food and drink, but they were not allowed to leave the detention camp for half a step. Wu Shili negotiated many times but had no effect at all.

In the evening of that day, Wu Shili was taken out alone, and the officer who came to escort him said, "Lieutenant Colonel, our King of the West wants to see you..." (To be continued, please search for Astronomy, the novel is better, updated and faster!
Chapter completed!