A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
A player, 25 March 2008
Can I use the Honor bushido virtue to pay the cost of discarding the imperial favor if neither myself or the other player controls the imperial favor, or do I have to actually have it to pay the cost and then use the Honor bushido virtue.
I found the below
http://rules.l5r.com/Non-card_physical_game_elements: "To discard the Favor as a cost means to pass it from your control to the uncontrolled state. By contrast, effects that discard the Favor will make the favor uncontrolled no matter who controls it."
"To discard the Favor as a cost means to pass it from your control to the uncontrolled state." leads me to beleive that I can't but I just want to be 100% sure. thanks
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 25 March 2008
Can I use the Honor bushido virtue to pay the cost of discarding the imperial favor if neither myself or the other player controls the imperial favor(?)
Yes.
http://rules.l5r.com/Glossary_I-J#Instead: "'X instead (of Y)' refers to the substitution of an old targeting, effect, choice, cost, or other game element (Y) with a new one (X)."