Taogu(陶穀) who had consecutively served in the government in later Jin, later Han, later Zhou and Northern Song Dynasties was viewed as a representative person among scholars in the period from the Five Dynasties to early Song Dynasty. Taogu was radical and irritable in character. He never hides his eagerness for fame and fortune. Therefore, his conduct was heavily denounced both by his contemporaries and later generations. However, Taogu's image which has been processed both in historical and literary materials showed a stereotyping tendency, and could not fully reflect his true features. Through the detailed analysis of Taogu's family background and his specific behaviors, one can know him more comprehensively and truly, and thus understand better the issue of the reconstruction of the ethos of literati - official in the Five Dynasties and early Song Dynasty.