When did the action take place in the story The Soul of the Great Bell by Lafcadio Hearn?

The Soul of The Great Bell by Lafcadio Hearn is the story of a Ming Dynasty king, obsessed with the production of a great bell with perfect tone. Despite endless effort, the desired result never happens. One day, the daughter of the king, who dearly loves her father, overhears that the only way to get the desired euphony is to include virgin blood in the smelting. She jumps into the kettle of molten metal and sacrifices herself so he might be happy. At last the perfect bell is produced, but the distraught father will never know true joy again.