Answer:

SETTING:

Beijing

The setting was in China, specifically Beijing (which was called Peking back then) and it happened 500 years ago.

CHARACTERS:

Celestial August- Son of Heaven.

Kouan-Yu- Father of Ko-Ngai and the worthy official.

Ko-Ngai-the only daughter of the worthy official.

Ko-Ngai's Lady in waiting- beside her when she jumped.

PLOT:

Nearly 500 years ago, the Celestial August and Yung-Lo commanded his greatest bellsmiths and mouders to create a bell that will create a sound that reaches 100 Li. It was spearheaded by Kouan-Yu. They tried to cast a bell twice but gold, silver, brass, iron wouldn’t meld together.  When the Son of Heaven heard about it, he got angry but he spake nothing. When the second time the Celestial August learned about the situation, he got angrier and sent Kouan-Yu a letter warning him that if they wouldn’t successfully cast the bell, he would be condemned to death.

Ko-Ngai is exquisite but her heart is much more beautiful than her face. Ko-Ngai found the letter, read it, and kept mum about it. She sold her jewelries and gold to pay an astrologer she needs to consult for an advice. The astrologer informed her that gold and brass will never meet in wedlock, silver and iron never will embrace until the flesh of a maiden is melted in the crucible and the blood of a virgin is mixed in the metal fusion.  

Thus, in the third attempt, Ko-Ngai leapt in the crucible. His father couldn’t do anything, he was sorrowful but they need to follow the order of the Celestial August and Yung-Lo.

They casted the bell with success. As they rang the bell, it created a sound that is deeper, mellower and mightier than any other bell.